Rating: 
Summary: Funny... And weird in a good way!
Review: 'Dummy' is definitely not for everyone. For example, I really liked it, and my mom really didn't. Okay, maybe that's a bad example, but I thought it was really funny. 'Dummy' had twinges of rather dark humor, like 'The Royal Tenenbaums,' where you just have to laugh and say, 'Man, this guy's life sucks!'
You can't help but sympathize for Brody's character and his messed-up life, where the pinnacle of his day occurs when he can play with his newfound dummy that he believes will bring him the love of his life. Well, low and behold, this dummy, who is unnamed, does, indeed, bring him the love of his life.
The journey to capture that love, though, is very funny and at times painful to watch. Milla Jovovich vividly portrays Brody's friend, Fandora, a girl that is more like a guy, who thinks has all the right answers about love.
Overall, this was a very funny, and often off-the-wall movie. I give it four stars!
Rating: 
Summary: IT IS WIDESCREEN!
Review: A couple of people have complained that the DVD doesn't function properly on wide-screen, HD TV's. I have been told by the good people of Artisan* (see note) that it is most likely a wrong setting on the TV's and not a flaw in the DVD. If you change the format/screen ratio on your HD TV it should solve that problem. After thousands of discs have been bought and viewed I have never heard a single complaint before about the disc. I have watched it myself and it worked fine so I have to assume it's the wide-screen TV's that are not set properly. Anyway, if this doesn't help, call Artisan and complain and get your money back. Good luck and thanks for buying the film... Greg.
*(note): sarcasm
Rating:
Summary: Are you a retard?
Review: A quote from this movie. It's very funny and along the same lines as punch drunk love and Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind. The format of Widescreen is larger than most Tv's support if they are older, I am not sure why this choice was made, but most HDTV's support the format. (True widescreen)Either way, I strongly reccomend this movie. It's a must own.
Rating: 
Summary: Ventriloquism as therapy
Review: Adrien Brody plays Steven, a nerdy, insecure and unemployed man who lives with his dysfunctional family. Illeana Douglas gives a typically excellent performance as his unhappy sister Heidi. Steven can't seem to find his niche, but when he decides to pursue ventriloquism, things start to happen for him. He finds that by talking through his dummy, he is better able to express himself. His advisor at the unemployment office is an attractive woman named Lorena (Vera Farmiga) who he wants to ask out. He is inhibited by his shyness and awkwardness, but his wild musician friend Fanny (Milla Javovich) convinces him to declare his affection for Lorena by sneaking to her house at night and writing on her door. This results in Lorena calling the police and getting a restraining order against Steven. This sequence of events highlights the edgy quality of Dummy that doesn't always quite work. Steven's behavior in much of the film, not only when he commits the above blunder, but the way he constantly carries around and interacts with his dummy, borders on the bizarre and it is a stretch of the imagination to believe Lorena would want to continue seeing him. Still, Brody manages to convey a sincerity and vulnerability such that we can almost believe a normal woman like Lorena might overlook his strangeness. If Lorena seems nice and sane, she is about the only one in the film who is (a good thing; too many nice and normal characters makes for a dull story). Jovovich is good as the rebel punk singer with an unpredictable energy. Steven's parents (Jessica Walter, Ron Leibman) are an odd pair; his mother appears to be right out of a sitcom, always offering people food, but we learn that she really isn't all smiles and sunshine; his father, meanwhile, is obsessively preoccupied with building model ships. The anger and pain that erupts in places goes beyond the superficial tameness of most mainstream movies, and this is refreshing. Heidi's stalker ex-boyfriend (Jared Harris) makes several appearances to further complicate matters; his character is alternately frightening and amusing. Despite all this quirkiness, Dummy ultimately has the rather common movie message that following your dreams will solve all of your problems. Steven actually quotes Joseph Campbell at one point ("follow your bliss"). Dummy is an interesting film that hits you with unexpected moments of laughter, discomfort and poignancy; if writer/director Greg Pritikin hadn't felt compelled to force these elements into such a neat, Hollywoodish package it might have been even better.
Rating:
Summary: Likable film with lovable cast
Review: Adrien Brody was amazing in this film, which was funny and insane. Some of the characters were a little unnecessary, and even annoying (Milla Jovovich), but the plot was great and the comedy was generous. I'd recommend it to anyone but small children.
Rating:
Summary: A Warm Film for Cold Times
Review: Charming, thoughtful and compassionate, "Dummy" is a fine and underrated film that easily qualifies as one of last year's best. Reminiscent of such masterpieces as "The Fisher King" and "Harold and Maude," "Dummy" is that rare film that allows us the opportunity to comfortably laugh at our own cowardice and take ourselves less seriously. Adrian Brody dceparts dramatically from his somber role in "The Pianist" in this equally quiet but far warmer portrait of a dead-end drop-out who takes up the art of ventrilloquism while living with his parents. The perfect counterpart to his incurable shyness is played by Milla Jovovich, who masterfully captures the vibrant personality of a punk-rocking tom boy. As we observe Steven -- Brody's character -- fumble through common human endeavors such as love, survival and ambition, we leave a piece of our hearts in the hands of he and the whole hard-hitting cast. This at once hysterical and provocative story only falters as it succumbs to a Speilberg-like temptation to blind the audience with rose-colored glassesd as Steven, his sister and his punk-rocker side kick all suddenly realize their boldest dreams in a broad stroke of miraculous fate. It is a surprisingly mawkish turn of events for an indie film, but the movie is so strong as a whole that this unfortunately timed misstep does not distract from the power of the acting and the script. Highly Recommended.
Rating:
Summary: MILLA JOVOVICH had me LAUGHING OUT LOUD!!!
Review: Dummy is a charming little movie about a quiet loser played by Adrien Brody who dreams of being a ventriloquist. The story revolves around Steven's (Brody) life, his relationships, his family, his future and his hilarious friend FANGORA (Milla Jovovich). The movie is off the beaten path, unique, subtle, quiet and a throw back to those simple little movies from the 80s that weren't about a whole lot, but were just enjoyable. And I assure you, after watching DUMMY, you WILL NOT forget it. You will talk about it with your friends and YOU WILL LAUGH!! The movie is gifted with memorable and rich characters. Illeana Douglas, Vera Farmiga, Jessica Walter & Ron Leibman are a big part of this, but the most memorable, hilarious and unforgettable role belongs to MILLA JOVOVICH. Milla plays an ill-tempered punk rock chick with a heart of gold and a mouth like a sailor. Milla had me in stitches and I believe that a lot of her acting was improvised. She was into this character and EARNS SOME SERIOUS BROWNIE POINTS for future more meatier roles. She steals the show. What was already a pretty good movie anyway, was made an exceptional movie by a HOMERUN performance by an actress that is getting better, better and better. This girl has MONGO GUTS, and it shows. Check out DUMMY. If you like to laugh. You won't go wrong. I normally reserve 5 stars for classics, but this barely recognized little movie deserves 5 stars, for what it is, what it accomplished and for making me laugh where hundreds of more commercial comedies failed miserably.
Rating:
Summary: Little known, fun film.
Review: Dummy is a good film. It tells the story of an odd almost dysfunctional group of people, but it delivers a good message. The cast was perfectly selected. Adrien Brody and Illeana Douglas were excellent as a dueling brother and sister. But Milla Jovovich stole the show as a sassy, klezmer-punk singer. I haven't seen many 'Jewish ventriloquist with a heart of gold' films, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Thankfully, this film did not disappoint. Check it out.
Rating:
Summary: worth every penny!
Review: I bought this movie merely because of the great cast (Adrien Brody and Milla Jovovich), not really knowing what to expect. It was hilarious!! despite milla (fanny) cursing out the wazoo she had some of the best lines in the whole movie that had me falling out my chair laughing... adrien brody isn't quite the suave musician he was in the pianist.. he's the exact opposite actually, playing a shy/dorky kind of guy, and he does a great job doing so. The story was somewhat predictable, but it was the delivery that was important, and that's what made this movie good. I should have gone into more detail, but o well, that's what I think in a nutshell!
Rating: 
Summary: Only a Dummy Would Rent This
Review: I can't believe I saw the same movie that the other reviewers saw. I thought I would love this film given my penchant for quirky, independent releases, but the script was terrible--what kind of potential suitor says to a woman whose husband died after being hit by a car, "I look both ways before crossing the street?" What kind of woman who lost her husband thinks that's funny? What kind of person, whatever the grade of social misfit, thinks spraypainting a thank-you note on someone's door is a good idea? What kind of self-respecting woman would forgive him? Did anyone else notice him selling his dummy back to a store with a sign that says "ALL SALES FINAL"? The far-fetchedness of the script and amateur production aside, the acting is wooden (sorry, no offense to the dummy), and the plot comes together sort of clumsily at the end. The only thing that was passable was the soundtrack. Like Napolean Bonaparte, another underachiever in this genre, eccentricity alone does not guarantee sleeper.
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