There can't be that many movies about blow up sex dolls can there? How about one that comes to life? In that field, this is the first one I've seen and it's in limited release. Obviously the thing that having a blow up sex doll is that you wonder who the hell gets these things. Are they sickos? Are they desperate? Are they anti-social misanthropes? Or are they just lonely? In both Lars and the Real Girl and Air Doll, the focus is squarely on the loneliness part. And while Air Doll did have some very poignant and real moments, I thought Lars and the Real Girl was just a better movie on all fronts. Maybe because there were too many dragged out moments of Nozomi (played by Doona Bae who was in The Host as well as Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance) walking around looking flabbergasted at all the things humans do, or there wasn't quite enough exploration of some of the themes. It was too fantasy and not enough reality, even if the same could be said for Lars and the Real Girl, but at least Lars was funny and sweet at the same time. Air Doll seemed stretch the boundaries of my disbelief.
Then again, the more I reflect back on Air Doll, the more I enjoyed the sadness of it, especially as it picked up near the back half and made you feel both sad and sick at the same time. More of that and Air Doll would have been a high recommend. Check out the trailer and a mini article here.
