The sophomore effort from writer and director Greg Pritikin, who previously co-directed and acted in 1998's Totally Confused, Dummy stars Oscar winner Adrien Brody (The Pianist, Summer of Sam) as Steven, a recently unemployed ne'er-do-well who has difficulty expressing himself. Steven's best friend is Fanny, an aspiring singer played by Milla Jovovich (The Fifth Element, Resident Evil) who, along with Steven, is just looking for her niche. Eventually Fanny takes a shine to Yiddish music and
Steven finds he has a knack for ventriloquism. Through his newfound talent, Steven discovers that he is able to overcome his social problems through his dummy and decides to try impressing and winning the heart of Lorena, played by Vera Farmiga (Autumn in New York, 15 Minutes). The winner of the Special Jury Prize at the 2003 Santa Barbara Film Festival, Dummy also stars Illeana Douglas and Jared Harris. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi
Like its mini-mouthpiece, as pleasantly entertaining as Dummy often is, this ultimately hollow film sounds a few too many wooden notes and creaky jokes.
Dummy might have been a better movie if Greg Pritikin had done a few more rewrites on his script, and if he'd had more than a few weeks in which to shoot it.
It's a sweetly sad and sadly funny tale, conceived with quirky sensitivity, but, though its actors are adept, it only just hangs together, like a sitcom still in rehearsal stages.
It's awkward humor that works. Milla Jovovich, as Fanny/Fangora, the consummate clueless wannabe rockstar, is brilliant, and you'd never know it from her later films. Everyone else is delightfully awkward/quirky/believable. Sadly, it all ends in all-too typical rom-com fashion, but it's certainly worth watching anyway.
I actually really admire that Adrien Brody chose to follow up The Pianist with Dummy. This movie is all kinds of bizarre and really nails a sense of awkwardness without having that typical "indie" look. It's genuinely funny and I can honestly say that I laughed out loud multiple times, which doesn't happen too often.
Adrien Brody's nerdy performance as a makeshift ventriloquist is way too hilarious and impossible to not enjoy. Also, Milla Jovovich's wacko grunge character is great too. It's a unique comedy that doesn't alienate, but really just attempts to try new things with a familiar formula.
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