Dummy (2008) Reviews

• The Dummy Is Me

  clintstevens2018-11-15

  I must be a dummy because I found this movie extemely hard to follow. Was it symbolism I didn't get...or bad editing? I was hoping to read a review that would shed some light on just what was going on but there are no viewer or critic's reviews on IMDb. Basically, this is a tale about the bonds between two brothers and how they cope with loss. The two boys lose their mother who kills herself because she is ill and enduring extreme pain. To cope with his loss the younger boy substitutes a mannequin for his dead mother, but there are scenes of the mother's corpse, so what is it, a dummy or a rotting body laying in bed for what appears to be days? (Wasn't the smell unbearable at some point?) Apparently the younger brother gets involved with a predator online who encourages him to take his life. This subplot did nothing to enhance the story. The older brother can't carry the burden of raising his younger sibling, so he makes arrangements to have his brother placed in a foster home. He then changes his mind, but it's too late. The younger boy becomes the stronger brother and consoles his sobbing brother, telling him he'll be fine when he leaves with Child Protection Services. At the conclusion, the two brothers walk off into the sunset with the dummy mother. Wow,, WAY too complicated for THIS dummy! The movie is a tearjerker in spite of all the confusion and is too intense for children. Also there is adult language and a few short scenes of male and female nudity.