Dummy Reviews

This potentially poor taste comedy confirmed Adrien Brody as an edgy actor who is willing to tackle unconventional projects. But good though he is as a slow-witted New Jerseyite who takes up ventriloquism to try to conquer his painful reticence, his efforts are restricted by director Greg Pritikin's screenplay, which lurches between quirky Jewish humour and cloying sentimentality. A subplot involving Brody's sister (Ileana Douglas) and her stalking ex (Jared Harris) is the worst miscalculation, though Milla Jovovich goes some way to redeeming the situation with her energetic turn as a punk who's longing to be accepted and charmingly behind the times. Brody's next project, Roman Polanski's The Pianist, earned him the best actor Oscar.

This potentially poor taste comedy confirmed Adrien Brody as an edgy actor who is willing to tackle unconventional projects. But good though he is as a slow-witted New Jerseyite who takes up ventriloquism to try to conquer his painful reticence, his efforts are restricted by director Greg Pritikin's screenplay, which lurches between quirky Jewish humour and cloying sentimentality. A subplot involving Brody's sister (Ileana Douglas) and her stalking ex (Jared Harris) is the worst miscalculation, though Milla Jovovich goes some way to redeeming the situation with her energetic turn as a punk who's longing to be accepted and charmingly behind the times. Brody's next project, Roman Polanski's The Pianist, earned him the best actor Oscar.