Dummy (2008)
Director: Matthew Thompson
Writer: Michael Muller
Starring: Thomas Grant, Aaron Johnson, Emma Catherwood, Therese Bradley, Moira Brooker
Language: English
Runtime: 90 Minutes approx.
Age Rating: 15
Genre: Drama
Reviewed by Ross Miller
I think I have found one of the best films of 2008 so far. In a year where summer blockbusters are getting all the limelight it’s nice to see that there are still smaller, more intricate films out there, even if they’re buried pretty deep. Dummy is a painfully honest and exhaustively emotional film.
After the death of their mother, two brothers deal with the loss in very different ways. The young one, who was closest with his mother, carries on as if she’s still alive by staying in her room and even dressing up a dummy to look like her while the older one turns to a life of constant partying, sex, and even drugs.
I think the biggest compliment I can pay this, and there are going to be many, let me tell you, is that it’s one of the most believable films I have seen in quite a while. It possesses a combination of tragedy and realism, fantastic performances from little known actors (which always helps to grab you into the story), and a freedom to show and deal with certain things that make it honest and believable.
The film makes us feel extremely sorry for the characters, especially the younger brother who feels the loss the most, but without it feeling like it’s forcing us to feel a certain way. The music throughout is so strong and emotive and yet subtle at the same time; it’s amazing that they got such a combination so perfect.
It’s strange how the tone of the film feels almost light and breezy, and sometimes even upbeat, which contrasts with some of the shocking and downright horrible incidents that occur. Some the scenes had me literally glued to the screen — the film just grabbed a hold of me almost from the opening minute and held me right up until the end.
The way the film tells its story is very interesting and original. It goes back and forth in time between before and after the death of the mother but it’s the way in which it’s edited that sets it apart from tons of other movies that have used the same back-and-forth technique. It inserts each of the key scenes at just the perfect moment for the viewer to feel the emotion intended; it is out of sync and there was subsequently a danger that it would be hard to keep up with. But not for a single moment does that occur – it’s at heart a simple film just done in such a way that makes it creatively complex.
I love the basic storyline of the film in that it explores how a tragic death of a close member of a family can affect the people who have to deal with it in different ways. As an audience member, and an outside observer, it’s easy to say things like, “Why is he acting like that? What’s wrong with him?” But if you were in that situation experiencing those things there’s no telling how you would (re)act.
Although this is definitely a small film in terms of scale it resonates just as much, and probably more, than the bigger films out there — it goes to prove that bigger isn’t necessarily better. I am happy to have gotten the chance to see this little gem of a film, and I am sad to say it probably won’t get much of a wide release, as it’s one of the best films I’ve seen so far in 2008.
