Love Object (2004)

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

This film was much better than I had expected it to be, both in the overall storyline and presentation, and in the acting and conception of its main character. There were moments that made me laugh out loud, like when he was watching The English Patient with the doll sitting next to him on the couch. I also found it sort of touching when he rigged up the harness so he could dance with her.But the total effect was pretty creepy, and his growing madness was uncomfortable to watch. I think the actor did a good job in showing that insanity, without overdoing it. The fact that the film was willing to explore some pretty uncomfortable territory, and that the main character was surprisingly well written and played, make this one a movie I'd recommend. It's uneven, but still better than what you might expect.I was reminded often of such workplace satires as Office Space, and I loved all the Hitchcock references. The film is at its strongest when dealing with topical issues like sexual harassment and workplace politics, as well as the often difficult paths of relationships between men and women in the modern world.A little too uncomfortable to truly enjoy, but worth seeing at least once.

Love Object starts like any other ordinary day for technical manual writer Kenneth Winsow (Desmond Harrington) until he finds a photo of a highly realistic sex doll on his desk put there as a joke by one of his colleagues (Brad Henke), however since Kenneth is a bit of a nerd & shy around the opposite sex he becomes fascinated with the doll & goes online & orders one who he models on his new assistant Lisa Bellmer (Melissa Sagemiller). Kenneth's whole life revolves around the sex doll & he becomes infatuated with it but at the same time he starts to develop a relationship with the real Lisa, unfortunately it seems that life-like sex dolls can get just as jealous as the real thing...Written & directed Robert Parigi Love Object is another one of those films that has a cult following & a certain reputation but when finally watched it rather disappoints, well it disappointed anyway. The script starts off really well, the scenes involving Kenneth & the sinister looking doll are actually quite creepy at times & pretty effective as he begins to lose his grip on reality but towards the end when he dumps the doll & turns his attention to the real Lisa the film looses it's originality & doesn't engage as much although I must say that I liked the ending where the bad guy actually comes out on top for a change. The film also lacks any sub-plots & not much else really happens so besides an effective first hour or so it's nothing to write home about. There is also a bizarre theme running through the film with certain seedy character's having prominent birth marks & it's never explained why. The character's are alright although Kenneth is given virtually no background whatsoever so it's a bit hard to connect with the guy, I mean he likes having sex with dolls modelled on someone he works with & he likes a bit of bondage as well which are obviously everyday normal activities everyone of us can relate to easily, can't we? The film has an OK pace & moves along reasonably enough but I felt it might have worked a little better if it had been shorter.Director Parigi does OK & there's a nice clean static look to the cinematography but it doesn't really have any visual flair & is a bit flat. I'm not sure whether this was intended as a straight horror but I don't think it was because it's not scary, there's a certain strange atmosphere to it but it won't give you nightmares. There's no gore or violence worth speaking about.With a supposed budget of about $1,000,000 & apparently shot in just 18 days Love Object is well made & has decent production values but ultimately forgettable. The acting is pretty good, it's always nice to see Udo Kier & I have to say I thought Sagemiller was a total babe & is easy on the eyes.Love Object wants to be a cult film but I'm not having it at all, it's an OK watch but I didn't think it was anything special & I doubt I'd ever want to see it again. Maybe I'm missing something but I thought it was a bit too predictable & it left me distinctly unmoved, worth a watch if your after something a bit different but don't expect a masterpiece.

Just by reading the description of this movie I found it peculiar and quite original for a movie in the Psycho/Thriller/Slasher genres, and not just because of the sex doll. The thing that stands out the most to me about this movie is the fact that it shows a process of a normal-seeming person into a bizarre killer.As the movie starts off we see a quiet, average seeming office worker named Kenneth, who seems rather bored and lonely with his life. He quickly changes from normal and lonely, to happy and well mannered. Which takes a turn for the worse when his "relationship" with Nikki goes sour, due this his belief that the doll is talking to him. Overall I think the state of mind was portrayed quite well. Kenneth does a great job in the strange transitions (and believe me there are several) in his personality.I would highly recommend giving this movie a try. It gives a very interesting possible aspect to a killer-in-the-making. Which is difficult to find in this type of movie.

LOVE OBJECT is a very cool, original film. Basic premise: Kenneth works at a company that writes owners manuals for products. He's the best in the biz but he has a big project coming up and his boss (played by the legendary Rip Torn) gets him an assistant. Kenneth doesn't want an assistant but the boss-man insists, and it turns out the assistant is kinda hot, so after a while, Kenneth doesn't mind quite so much. In fact, Kenneth starts to date the assistant, but Kenneth isn't all-together in the head. He buys a "real-life" sex doll to act out his fantasies on, and eventually the doll starts taking over his life, including talking to and stalking him. It just gets weirder from there, building to LOVE OBJECT's pretty cool climax. This is a strange little film that hasn't really gotten enough credit. It's well acted, kinda creepy, and very original. There's no real gore to speak of, so those looking for ultra-violence can pass this one up. But for something different, give this one a shot. This film kinda reminds me of the film MAY, in the fact that they're both small, strange films that most people either really like or really don't, with not much middle-ground. Personally, I like both and recommend taking a look at LOVE OBJECT 8/10