Steven: I look both ways when I cross the street.

"Dummy" is yet another of those utterly original and wildly off the wall gems that went undiscovered and unnoticed by the public audience, but did receive a DVD release eventually. "Dummy" is a film not a lot of people will truly understand nor will they want to, but to those who do and did, you know as well as I do, that it's almost criminal this
was never noticed by the mainstream audience. Surely, as I've stated before, anything popular these days are most likely to be shit, but with "Dummy" it would have garnered the popularity with my blessing because in the end, this was just such a great undiscovered piece of film that I was sad will never be seen by many people except for Indie buffs and
Brody fans. I underestimate Adrien Brody's raw talent, even after that masterpiece "The Pianist" mainly because he was so over-publicized after that performance.

Sure, he deserved it, but in this age over-publicized means public saturation, and then it leads to the diminishing of a great actor who begins choosing terrible roles. As for Brody he really manages to show he has some pure talent in this weird and often times whimsical and funny romantic comedy drama. Brody plays introvert Steven, a very socially awkward and apprehensive individual whose entire family is filled with dysfunctional, nutty individuals including the always good Jessica Walters as Steven's overbearing mother. Steven, now living with his parents, quits his job to buy a ventriloquist dummy and begins using it as an entrance in to people's lives and now has caught eyes of a local unemployment agent. Brody has such an ere of childish innocence and wonder to him and that's not caused by some mental defect which many will think is the case.

He plays a man who obviously led a very sheltered life and is able to break free through this ventriloquist dummy who becomes a doorway to his real personality and charm. Brody is brilliant in this performance, and I just couldn't get enough of him. The film is teeming with some excellent performances including from Milla Jovovich who gives an excellent performance as Steven's equally overbearing and troubled punk friend who adores Steven and shows it in her own little ways. She guides him wrongfully, but she also has the best of intentions at heart. Their scenes together make for some of the funniest and sweetest moments of the film. Jovovich is great, and she's a better actress I usually give her credit for . Jovovich' character is so brutal and blunt and rough and overbearing, but Steven looks beyond and sees her personality which is loving and often caring.

Milla completely breaks free from her body as Fangora and is one of the best aspects of this film. To add to the talent is the always entertaining and scene stealing Illeana Douglas who plays Steven's jealous and brutally honest sister. Douglas is just a scene stealer throughout the film and manages to play off well against Brody. As for the dummy, well he manages to become his own character while the film becomes charming bordering on creepy with Brody's interaction with it. The dummy becomes the manifestation of his feelings, desires, and becomes very therapeutic for him in approaching others for a conversation especially when he meets Lorena who he tries to romance with less than successful efforts, but she soon takes a liking to him.

Steven says the weirdest and altogether most ridiculous things, but she just rolls with the punches and enjoys it because we know as well as she does that he means no harm. Vera Farmiga is utterly adorable as Brody's crush and is really worth watching here. As for the film, it manages to become altogether charming, tragic, and bittersweet while often managing to make you laugh out loud, and there are some moments that just made me burst with laughter. It's a shame most people won't even get to see this nor will they bother to, but they're truly missing out on a crowd pleasing portrait of a tragic man you can't help love.

"Dummy" is one of many criminally undiscovered film gems that needs you to watch it. Although very weird, this is ultimately very sweet tragicomedy with top-notch acting from the immensely talented cast, a beautiful story, and knee-slapping laugh out loud humor that will surely leave you with a smile on your face in the end. You'd be a dummy to snub this on your next rental trip.

[   Link to Us   |   FAQ   |   Top^   ]
All written reviews material and content are a copyright of Felix Vasquez Jr. and Cinema Crazed.
Content borrowed without written permission will not be permitted.

¤ ¤ ¤