Doll It Up – A Short Film Review
Yalan Hu gives offers us a unique love story between one man and his sex doll in this short comedy that manages to deliver despite some missteps.
What’s It All About?
Feeling his marriage with Natalie, a sex doll he has been with for 3 years, has grown stale, Gunther purchases a new doll that he adores and esteems as “true love.” However, “true love” tends to be questionable and never lasts. When he finds out he is cheated on by the young wife and wishes to win back the old wife, he’s faced with the fact that he has lost both of them.
My Opinion
Doll It Up is a great example of why I like short film so much. The small budgets and short runtime mean filmmakers have be more creative, thinking out of the box and working to certain limitations. The results can be a mixed bag but there is no denying the originality of these films. It is always exciting watching something new and unique.
Filmmaker Yalan Hu gives us a very unique story. To be more precise it is a very unique love story. Never have I watched a love triangle between a man and two sex dolls, it is certainly a first for me. The tagline “A story of sex, lies and silicone” was hilarious but also very apt.
Yalan Hu has a great eye for visual comedy. Even the idea of this story is enough to make you chuckle. Doll It Up has its fair share of laugh-out-loud moments, no doubt not to everyone’s taste, but this reviewer found a lot of comedy in this short. There were too many to mention but highlights for me were the opening and closing scenes. The initial shock you get when you see that the beaming Gunther is having a conversation with a sex doll who are eating dinner together at the table will leave a lasting impression, as will the closing scenes of Gunther and a homeless man fighting over the doll in the middle of the street. Both scenes made me for great comedy, executed and captured perfectly.
Gunther is played by Timothy J. Cox who puts this entire short on his back and carries it over the finish line. This is a one man show. Cox plays the character totally straight and this is what makes this movie. His ability as an actor shines here as he has to act alongside two sex dolls and has us believing everything he says and does. As he shares a lot of screen-time with these lifeless dolls he has to really overcompensate to get the audience to buy-in and he does it with ease. The character of Gunther is what makes or breaks this short as it could have quite easily fallen flat without the right man in the role.
The score was an excellent fit to accompany this short. Nikolay Vassilev is the man responsible and it’s quirkiness and oddness is a great match to the story.
The camera work, while not groundbreaking does exactly what it needs to in telling the story. This is a character driven narrative and the camera frames the action well. Being filmed in an actual house can often lead to it feeling quite claustrophobic but we are given plenty of breathing room here. A mixture of medium and close-up shots keep us up close and personal with what is going on.
There were one or two issues that I had with the film. Some moments that I felt didn’t make sense or had me slightly confused. This may be explained by scenes being cut or not even making it to film, leaving it a little confusing.
The moment when Gunther takes Dory into the bedroom the camera gives us a view from inside a cupboard, as if we were hiding and watching them. I found this angle a little odd and out of place in comparison to the rest of the film. I am not sure if this was going to lead to some other plot point or was just an idea that was explored but never quite got to where it intended to go. Although this is probably a small gripe it was enough for me to remember once the short had finished. I found myself pondering what it’s intention was? Who’s eyes were we supposed to be looking through? Was it Natalie? Was it the Delivery Man? It could have even been the homeless man? This is never really explained.
Another question I was left asking myself was when the Delivery Man, who was with Dory in Gunther’s house, said to Gunther “Your Right, she is good”. I found this a little confusing as they had not spoke about the sex dolls. This gave me the impression that I was missing something. Was this something that was cut from the final short? I am not sure, but it didn’t seem to make much sense.
Notable Performances
Timothy J. Cox puts in a fantastic performance as Gunther. Cox plays this role completely straight and it really makes the film work. He seems to relish playing the character and it shows on screen. He plays the character with complete conviction, showing the excitement and joy of receiving his new girlfriend and the anger and grief of her betrayal. Cox brings the whole short to life flexing his acting muscles and putting in a superb performance. Acting alongside two dolls is no easy feat yet he manages to give us a believable character that we awkwardly root for. His conversations and reactions to the lifeless sex dolls brings them to life. From his deflating night with his wife, Nat, to his final scenes fighting over Nat in the street with a homeless man he manages to have the viewer in fits of laughter.
Wayne DeBary has a short but memorable role as a Hobo who takes a shine to Nat once she has been discarded. The closing scenes with him wrestling over Nat with Cox while still holding onto his alcohol was amusing.
Devin Craig also has a small but certainly memorable as the delivery man who brings Gunther his new sex doll, the cool and calm Devin leaves a lasting impression when Gunther finds him in a compromising position with Dory.
The Verdict
Doll It Up is a unique love story. It is a great idea for a short film. A story about sex dolls is not going to appeal to everyone but some decent writing and laugh-out-loud moments make for an easy watch for those that do. One or two missteps make for some slightly awkward moments. A stand-out performance for Timothy J. Cox who carries this film from opening scene to the end credits.
