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It's a pity that Brody's award winning acting in "The Pianist" overshadowed what I think was the best performance of his career so far, as the romantically clueless and vocationally strange Steven in "Dummy". The film is just as captivating as "The Pianist", but in totally different ways. Brody completely inhabits of the body, mind, and soul of Steven -- and his dummy -- surrounded by an amazing cast that seems tailor made for each part. The film also includes some of the most subtle and hilarious comedic situations ever. (If you enjoy Wes Anderson or Coen Brothers style humor, then this will be a treat). Brody's Steven is sweet, disturbing, funny, shy and sometimes brave with amazing skill and believability. You feel yourself rooting for him despite all odds. He's a lovable loser that you want to win the girl at last, and I promise he'll be your favorite ventriloquist by the end of the film. If you have an appetite for a unique, well-made movie to restore your faith in movies (and actors) rent "Dummy" tonight.

I have to say that I think Benny & Joon may be one of my favorite Johnny Depp films, along with Edward Scissorhands and Cry Baby. Unfortunately, you don't hear too many people talk about B&J the way they do Johnny's more high profile films, like Pirates of the Caribbean. This film is wonderful because it manages to tell the story of two mentally ill characters and never make them helpless victims. Instead, at their worst they're merely troubled and interesting characters, and at their best they're absolutely charming and heartwarming. Of course, Depp shines with his spot-on Chaplin impressions, and Masterson and Quinn are in top form as well. The real miracle of this film is that it is able to tell a story laced with realism through a whimsical lens, and it walks the tightrope of making one feel good without blatant reassurance. You believe Benny and Joon love one another without a gratuitous sex scene, (only a beautifully sensual one), and the viewer subsequently falls in love with everyone because this is a fine example of the way characters should be developed. Bravo to all involved!

I was really excited about this movie coming out, and I actually read the book in the week prior to its opening so I could compare the two. I was not disappointed, however some of my favorite moments from the book were left out of the movie. On the other hand, I understand that Minghella had to leave out some things from Frazier's sweeping novel or we would have been in the theater for about six hours! I didn't even really have a problem with the alteration of plot surrounding Sally Swanger's character, since what Minghella seemed to do was basically transcribe the story of another brief character in the book onto her character. The only aspect of the movie that left me somewhat disappointed was the way in which Inman and Ada's romance was portrayed in its early stages. In the movie, they have more encounters prior to Inman's leaving than they do in the book, but many of those meetings seem to be missing the kind of magic present in certain scenes within the novel (i.e. the moment when Ada sits on Inman's lap beside the fire). But, the scene between Inman and Sara, the widow, was left pretty much untouched, (another of my favorite moments) and I thought it was wonderful. Also to Minghella's credit, I must say that I thought the scene where Ada goes to see Inman off to war was extremely well done. All in all, I thought it was a visually and thematically beautiful movie that stayed with me long after I left the theater.