CountZero313 An inflatable sex doll acquires a soul and wanders off to explore what people are really like. At first she feels different because she is empty, but she comes to discover that human beings, too, are empty.That's pretty much all this film has to say, but it takes a very long time to say it. Some may say the lyricism, visual poetry, episodic delight and elegiac moments are reward enough. Personally, I found the lack of narrative coherence and complexity crushing. There is no philosophical exploration here, unless you consider on-the-nose dialogue about the fleeting nature of existence and our Godless mortality philosophy. The lack of character differentiation - everyone is lonely, maudlin, mildly misanthropic - makes the narrative progression flat and laboured.The film most closely resembles Koreeda's Maboroshi. Both films feature outstanding performances from female leads (Bae Doo-na being more expressive than Esumi) displaced from their usual realm and facing existential crisis. Both films have gorgeous imagery. Both films take too long to convey very little. Still Walking is Koreeda at his finest. The cruelty, humanity, wicked humour and scalpel-like dissection of human interaction portrayed in that film are all absent here.Far too self-aware as art house and lacking any motivation for the characters, the film itself ends up being the very theme that it intends to explore - soulless.

crossbow0106 Doo-na Bae, who I saw less than two weeks ago in "Spring Bears Love", now stars as a life size blow up doll come to like. As Nozomi, she lives with a middle aged man (before she comes to life), where he speaks to her, dresses her in various outfits and even makes love to her. When she comes alive, she wanders out into a video store where she meets the clerk Junichi, and begins to work there, also quickly growing very fond of him. As Nozomi, Doo-na Bae, who is prettier now than when she was in "Spring Bears Love", delivers a wonderful, affecting performance. Its a role that is not easy to play, you have to first accept that she came to life. As a love story, it borders on moving. The premise sounds like it could be a tawdry film, but it really isn't. Its a bold idea as a serious film and it works. I recommend it.

Kenji Chan Air Doll is a poetic, unhurried, beautifully shot and poignant movie which may remind you of Lars and the Real Girl, Artificial Intelligence, Enchanted, Cyborg She, Pinocchio and Toy Story, yet it distinguishes itself by its poetic quality and focus on the emptiness of city life.Indeed, city dwellers resemble sex dolls. Lacking souls and uniqueness, they can be easily substituted by others. Nozomi's sex with three different men exploiting her and treating her as a substitute is one of the examples. Degrading themselves by treating each other as functional objects, they will be forgotten once they become useless. A dead person therefore is depicted as a piece of garbage.Moreover, some city dwellers prefer to live alone and sometimes they feel lonely. The movie reminds us that humans should have companions. DVDs gradually replacing cinemas also indicates that people nowadays prefer solitude.Apart from these, city slickers value money and sex more important than soul and love. For instance, a man prefers an air doll to a real woman and even a little girl prefers a ring to a doll given by her mother.Despite the gloomy atmosphere, the movie reminds us of the cycle of life which consists of not only downs, but also ups. Although plants wither in winter, they grow in spring. Perhaps we should learn from Nozomi who tries to appreciate every moment of happiness, be it fleeting or lasting, for instance, gazing at stars and even a raindrop, admiring the breathtaking scenery in the city, embracing a man she has a crush on while riding on a motorcycle, etc. Indeed, Nozomi is already happier than other real human characters in the movie.Starring as an inflatable sex doll with a soul, Korean actress Doona Bae (The Host, Linda Linda Linda) gives a convincing and dazzling performance in this Japanese movie. The audience will be amazed by every nuance of her expressions / movements and the daring naked scenes.The renowned Taiwan cinematographer Mark Ping-bing Lee (In the Mood for Love) succeeds in capturing the mood of this lonely city by often panning his camera slowly to observe loners. The dreamlike music by World's End Girlfriend also adds much purity, mystery and melancholy to this fractured modern fairy tale.Although the plot would become more substantial if other minor characters were further developed, they help illustrate how lonely and alienated humans are.After seeing this haunting movie, one may leave the cinema with a heavy heart and a deep sigh, trying to feel one's long-lost soul and pondering on the meaning of ephemeral life.Hirokazu Koreeda is one of my favorite directors and his previous movies like Maborosi, Nobody Knows and Still Walking are highly recommended.

russian29 Air Doll is a rather sad and delicate story about the loss of innocence, urban alienation, loneliness, and what it means to be human. The film touches upon a theme of men treating women as mere sex objects, but it is in no way related to prostitution.The film is intended for mature audiences who can appreciate the issues raised by the director. Fans of Bae Doo-na will find a lot to like here, as the actress has done an admirable job portraying a sex doll come to life. She is in almost every frame, often in her birthday suit.A cast of supporting characters is introduced, but their stories only briefly touch the main plot line, and we do not get to spend significant time with any of them. It works as a perfect illustration of fleeting encounters with strangers in a big city.