Out of Time 2003

I can still remember the waves caused by Rodriguez’s “El Mariachi.” He was a part of a new school of DIY filmmakers in the ’90s who truly changed the movie scene. With other filmmakers like Richard Linklater (with “Slacker”) and Kevin Smith (with “Clerks”), Rodriguez made the idea that anyone could be the next notable director seem real. It was a wave that would eventually create household names like Quentin Tarantino and gave birth to a career in Rodriguez that has consistently produced for the last two decades…

The sophomore effort from writer and director Greg Pritikin, who previously co-directed and acted in 1998's Totally Confused, Dummy stars Oscar winner Adrien Brody (The Pianist, Summer of Sam) as Steven, a recently unemployed ne'er-do-well who has difficulty expressing himself. Steven's best friend is Fanny, an aspiring singer played by Milla Jovovich (The Fifth Element, Resident Evil) who, along with Steven, is just looking for her niche. Eventually Fanny takes a shine to Yiddish music and Steven finds he has a knack for ventriloquism. Through his newfound talent, Steven discovers that he is able to overcome his social problems through his dummy and decides to try impressing and winning the heart of Lorena, played by Vera Farmiga (Autumn in New York, 15 Minutes). The winner of the Special Jury Prize at the 2003 Santa Barbara Film Festival, Dummy also stars Illeana Douglas and Jared Harris.