Air Doll

Hideo is a middle-aged man who lives alone with the inflatable doll Nozomi as his only companion. He confides in her, they have dinner together and they share a bed every night. What he does not know is that Nozomi comes to life every morning after he has left for work. Dressed in uniform, she wanders around by herself on expeditions in the city, with a child’s sense of wonder and enthusiasm. Every afternoon she returns to revert to a lifeless doll. Then one day, Nozomi meets Junichi in a video store and falls in love. She gets a job there and through the movies they watch together, Nozomi learns about the outside world. A world that literally takes her breath away.

The film about inflatable Nozomi, who springs to life and love, has already enthralled audiences in Cannes and Toronto. Cinematographer Mark Lee Ping-bing’s (In the Mood for Love, 2000) stylistically assured and visually ravishing universe lends a seductive depth and intensity to the film. Air Doll is a film about the loneliness that our modern urban world also holds. Director Kore-eda is already regarded as a cinematic genius by many. Air Doll is likely convince the rest. red