空気人形 (aka Air Doll) (2009)

A life size air doll (Bae Doona) lives in a shabby apartment in Tokyo with her owner (Itsuji Itao), who uses her for sex. One day without any explanation, she comes to life and must deal with this fascinating new world and what it means to be human. Based on the graphic novel KUUKI NINGYO BY Yoshiie Goda and directed by Kore-Eda Hirokazu (SHOPLIFTERS). While I can appreciate Kore-Eda's tender examination of urban loneliness and what it means to be human, damn this is one sluggish movie that moves at a snail's pace. What should have been a 90 minute movie is pushed toward a joyless two hour mark. It's a pity because there's a lovely 100% committed performance by Bae Doona that should be seen. Its funereal pacing allows your mind to wander and you begin asking questions that you shouldn't like where does she get the money to buy clothes, how did she learn to read and write, doesn't her master wonder where she is when she's out, etc. Things like that. With Arata and Joe Odagiri.