Gunther (Timothy J. Cox) is a typical man in many ways, but not in the way he loves. His tastes are… unusual to say the least. His marriage is falling apart, partially because his wife has blown a seam. Seeking new romantic thrills, Gunther abandons his blow-up wife for a newer model. His new doll girlfriend is his every dream come true, and his wife tries to break them up. Gunther, however, chooses his new doll over the old, throwing his wife into the garbage.
I can’t say much more: At only eleven minutes in runtime, you’ll have to check it out yourself to see what’s in store. For such a short film, Doll It Up packs an impressive punch. Tim Cox puts on an outstanding performance. He does a great job making it seem like Gunther is actually in a relationship with a blow-up sex doll. Doll It Up is like American Pie for people who like good movies. Every shot is well-considered and impeccably staged. There’s a normalcy to this whole film that makes the entire scenario feel all the more bizarre. Everything about this film is memorable and, if you like it just a little raunchy, hilarious.
The film itself is rife for analysis as well: Those teaching Women’s studies might find this film a helpful segue into the treatment of wives and women in popular media. By using blow-up dolls as stand-ins for female actors, Doll It Up provides us with a surreal critique of masculine cultural tropes in media. We should feel equally strange watching a man cheat on real women, yet often we don’t. If you don’t feel like getting that deep into thematics and analysis, Doll It Up is great for a laugh too. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a short film screwball comedy before, and this film does it incredibly well. Those looking for an outstanding short comedy film to add to their collection should look no further than Doll It Up. Highly Recommended.