Director Pedro Morelli's convoluted tripartite brain-teaser—mixing live-action and animation—initially focuses on aspiring graphic novelist Emma (Alison Pill), who supports herself by making life-sized sex dolls while dreaming of having breast enhancement surgery and enjoying an office affair with a scruffy co-worker (Tyler Labine). The pair will ultimately become involved in a wacky caper involving a doll that is filled with cocaine and the crook who is determined to retrieve it. Emma's novel-in-progress constitutes the second episode—presented as rotoscopic animation—which centers on Edward (Gael García Bernal), a movie director plagued by personal problems who is diverted from putting the final touches to an ambitious art film about a beautiful model named Michelle (Mariana Ximenes), a woman who is attempting to change careers by writing a novel. Morelli juggles bits and pieces of all three stories into a reasonably coherent whole, but while there are engaging moments, too much of the film comes across as oddly bland and tepid. A strong optional purchase. (F. Swietek)
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Cinedigm, 96 min., not rated, DVD: $14.98, Oct. 25 Volume 31, Issue 5
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