`Dummy, a Smart Romantic Comedy
By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter
This is one of those small budget movies with a stellar cast and novel theme that you discover by chance at a video store and think "Oh my goodness!?(in the positive sense). Starring hot actors Adrien Brody, Milla Jovovich and Vera Farmiga, "Dummy" is a funny, heartwarming independent film about a man and his wooden dummy.
The belated introduction of the 2002 movie here is quite timely, with Adrien Brody being well known for "The Pianist" (which won him the 2003 award for Best Actor at the Academy); the third installment of the model-turned-actress Milla Jovovich's action-packed zombie movie" Resident Evil: Extinction" opening soon; and Martin Scorsese's favorite leading lady Vera Farmiga having recently co-starred with Ha Jung-woo in a Korea-U.S. co-production "Never Forever."
Yet, in "Dummy," these three superstars get together in a sleepy suburban town to offer no big action or heroism, but rather a sweet, mellow story with subdued charms, as believable characters in a smart comedy.
Steven (Brody) leads a rather depressing existence: At 30, he's still living at home with his parents and working a dead-end job. His family borders on dysfunctional: His wacky parents are constantly berating each other--the mother being preoccupied with nagging and feeding everyone and the father being obsessed with model battle ships and openly watching pornography, while his sister Heidi (Illeana Douglas) is an emotional time bomb juggling her stressful job as a wedding planner and trying to get rid of her unstable former fiance.
But Steven keeps afloat with his passion for ventriloquism. The painfully shy man becomes hilarious and even slightly outgoing through his wooden dummy. He quits his job to finally pursue his dream of becoming a ventriloquist. His family barely pays attention to the idea, with the exception of his sister who casually dismisses it as being "freaky," saying "Oh my gosh, you look like a child molester."
His only support are his childhood buddy and neighbor Fangora (Jovovich), a foul-mouthed but good hearted punk rocker also waiting for her big break to stardom, and the beautiful and most helpful unemployment counselor, Lorena. A restraining order leads to a blooming romance between Steven and Lorena, while Heidi and Fangora embark on a road to self-discovery through someone else's wedding.
The actors sparkle in the movie. Brody is lovable and compelling in his role of Steven. His wooden friend is his alter ego, and you want to wish him strength as he learns to no longer hide behind the dummy.
Fans of Jovovich will enjoy the sexy star playing a completely different persona. Fangora is a confused young woman who acts tough and careless, but resorts to shoplifting and the like because it's the only way she can show that she cares. It's touchingly funny to see Steve and Fangora, who were probably the biggest geek and troublemaker, respetively, back in high school, as best friends.
Farmiga's character is perhaps the least developed but is nevertheless lovely. Her character is a single mother trying hard to make ends meet. Amid a string of one difficult client after another, Steven strikes her as a true dreamer.
"Dummy" is a small gem of a film that glimmers with life, its petty and big moments of drama and the gripping forces that enable us to move forward: Faith, hope and dreams.