Written and directed by Yalan Hu, Doll it Up is as funny is it outrageously creepy. Tim Cox plays a suffering husband who is sick of trying to make his empty marriage work. It seems his wife, Natalie, is simply filled with air. Oh wait, she literally is.
Natalie is in fact a blow up sex doll. Weird, right? Their evening gets progressively worse and Natalie quite literally deflates. Of course this calls for an upgrade. Enter Dory, the new and improved upgrade. The man who delivers the new doll (Devin Craig) is perhaps a little too interested in the contents of the package for Gunther’s liking. It is here where Cox’s performance moves from comedic to downright odd. This shift is subtle and progressive – you barely notice yourself slipping into a sort of repulsion. Cox acts with conviction opposite the lifeless doll. He is essentially having to create the character of both Natalie and Dory himself in order to make the film engaging and believable. Cox does this very well.
Again the film shifts, becoming even more sinister. This time the cinematography is to blame as we watch the intimacy between Gunther and his new wife from inside the closet. We are positioned as voyeurs, observing a strange and unusual spectacle. As Natalie becomes problematic, Gunther decides to dispose of her, rather than keeping the both of them around. I found this scene very funny, however through the lens of critical theory a feminist commentary begins to emerge.
Everything seems rosy for a while. That is until the delivery driver makes a reappearance in a very compromising position. To be specific: underneath Gunther’s wife. Devin Craig adds a nice contrast to Gunther’s awkward character as the delivery driver is the epitome of cool. Naturally, Gunther is distraught and decides to take a walk. On his way, who should appear but Natalie! Gunther is overjoyed, embracing her emotionally. But it seems another man has claimed her as his own. Natalie doesn’t get a say in this as the two argue. As the pair literally enter a tug of war with her, the comedic element is replaced by a reflection of overwhelming objectification. This isn’t just one man’s secret fetish but rather a world of men disposing of and using women as they see fit.
Yalan Hu has directed and written an interesting comedy with a bubbling subtext of feminism. Timothy Cox embodies the protagonist’s emotional connection with an inanimate object which is impressive from an acting perspective. Doll it Up is a classic example of a good short film: something a bit different with a message to consider after the narrative has finished.