Kore-Ida's Air Doll Titillates, Provokes Self-Examination
By wchung | 15 May, 2009

Upper Left: South Korean actress and cast member Bae Doo-Na arrives for the screening of the film 'Kuki Ningyo' (Air Doll) during the 62nd International film festival in Cannes, southern France, Thursday, May 14, 2009. (AP Photo/Joel Ryan); Lower Left: Japanese actor Itao Itsuji, left, South Korean actress Bae Doo-Na, second from left, Japanese Director Kore-Eda Hirokazu, second from right, and Japanese actor Arata, right. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles); Above: Japanese Director Kore-Eda Hirokazu, second left, stands with cast members from left, Japanese actor Arata, South Korean actress Bae Doo-Na and Japanese actor Itao Itsuji. (AP Photo/Joel Ryan)

The plot sounds like a great idea for a porno: an inflatable doll comes to life and engages in a series of sexual sessions with a human friend. Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda exploits its abundant potential to serve as a metaphorical commentary on the human condition in Kuki Ningyo (“Air Doll”).

Korean actress Bae Doo-na portrays the title role. The doll is bought by a middle-aged waiter, but abandons him for a video store clerk. After going through experiences that make her successively more human, she kills her boyfriend. The film made its Cannes debut Thursday in the Un Certain Regard category.

5/15/2009 5:20 AM CANNES