the audience applauded

An absolute waste of money

Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

"Dummy" is an impressive movie for many reasons, but let's start with the show stealer... Milla Jovovich. Her character is something like a female Beavis & Butthead rolled into one but with great character development and evolution which pays off with her riveting singing performance at the story's climax. Her scenes alone (which some appreciative youtubers have strung together for our enjoyment) are worth the price of admission.Not to be overshadowed is Adrian Brody who plays a nerdy ventriloquist (whose only friend is Milla). And in case you're wondering, yes, he operated the puppet and did all the ventriloquism himself according to the credits at the end.The story: a nerdy ventriloquist wannabe (Brody), who is living at home at age 30-something because he can't keep a real job, pairs up with his high school pal (Jovovich) to chase his dreams and simultaneously win the love of a girl he's stalking. The humor is that the two of them, Brody & Jovovich, play characters who are so socially stunted that they'd be lucky if they could ride a bus downtown, let alone achieve their dreams of glory. By the way, Milla's dream is to be a punk rocker, but she keeps getting waylaid by the fact that her guitarist can never seem to get the right "reeear-weew-breeer-woow" (that's a quote). Until they switch to a bizarre new music genre which I won't spoil, you just gotta check it out and you WON'T be disappointed.There's a simultaneous subplot involving our hero's sister (played by the hilarious Illeana Douglas) who is a failed-singer-turned-wedding-planner also living at home at age 30-something whist being stalked by an alcoholic accountant who does community theater in his spare time.Perhaps you've figured it out from my description; this is a film about people who have failed in various degrees to achieve their dreams, and now solidly rooted in mediocrity, they make their way through life on the line of sanity. And frequently tripping over said line."Dummy" is a true gem of quirky excellence. The comedic timing between Brody's subdued character and Jovovich's hyper manic character is impeccable. Not to mention other supporting characters like the mother, father and of course Brody's love interest who each play memorable roles that contribute greatly to the humor. "Dummy" is an all round solid comedy that deserves a respectable cult following. Definitely not a wooden performance. Har har.

Great idea, good acting, pathetic script. So ridiculously absurd that you'd have to be from another planet to think that this could ever happen. And it really is a very basic story- nothing really happens- but the chemistry between the characters is so lacking that you can't believe that there would ever be any genuine attraction between the two main characters. Even in other movies where the boring loser guy gets the hot chick, he at least has something to offer her. This movie was a complete waste of time, despite wonderful performances by most of the main characters. Illeana Douglas (Ghost World, Cape Fear, New York Stories) and Vera Farmiga (just an all around up and coming good looking film actress)were both exceptional.

THis is the kind of film that really surprises you with it's warmth, balance, humor, and maturity. A really balanced script that allows everyone to show their stuff. I bought this DVD because I think I've lost my head over Milla Jovovich, because of her performance on The Fifth Element, and wanted to see what else she has done. This is the one to check out...as her performance in Zoolander is just a comic book character..(Not her fault..written that way) and the noir film she did with Sam Jackson called No Good Deed, doesn't allow her to shine...the director keeps all in a subdued space, and Milla listens to her directors...however, one should see No Good Deed, for Mill'as closeup in the street with her made bank boyfriend, as there is a wonderful open light on her as she kisses him, while wearing a robe with a towel in her hair, and the way her green eyes shine for that small moment, is a real keeper. Oh yeah, this is a review of Dummy. Just get this perfectly formed diamond of a comedy...Adrian is great, and has also learned to be a ventriloquist and has great scenes with his little wooden friend. Milla plays his completely opposite punked/rocked out buddy, and she nails the part. (Favorite scene is Milla scratching her butt while giving Adrian grief about his life. Check out Milla's great web site, too. She's open generous, friendly, literate, talented, walks her dogs, writes great songs, gets overproduced sometimes, but maybe that's because there is an international audience out there for her, and reverb and echo are still popular in Europe and South America more than the states....I wish her all the best...and the whole group behind Dummy...a film I was easily able to watch three times in one week with three different friends... Andre in S.F. Milla..Milla...."Diving Up"

This movie is terrific. It's very funny and very powerful. Everything that happens is a necessary plot point to tell the story. Nothing is extraneous. Each character is uniquely entertaining and real, they each remind us of someone we know. We root for Stephen, we dislike Heidi, and we can't help but love Fanny. The characters are developed wonderfully. The performances are all terrific. I've never seen any of Adrien Brody's work before, but if it's all as great as this then he's destined for super stardom. Illeana Douglas is hilarious and perfect as usual. I was most blown away by Milla Jovovich. She's amazingly fun to watch on screen and her New Jersey accent is dead-on. Great dialog and flawless directing. Simply put it's a wonderful film with a unique theme, which is unique in itself.