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IMDbPro

Air Doll

Original title: Kûki ningyô
  • 20092009
  • UnratedUnrated
  • 2h 5m
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
7.4K
YOUR RATING
Bae Doona in Air Doll (2009)
A life-size blow-up doll develops a soul and falls in love with a video store clerk.
Play trailer2:08
1 Video
51 Photos
DramaFantasyRomance
A life-size blow-up doll develops a soul and falls in love with a video store clerk.A life-size blow-up doll develops a soul and falls in love with a video store clerk.A life-size blow-up doll develops a soul and falls in love with a video store clerk.
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
7.4K
YOUR RATING
    • Kore-eda Hirokazu
    • Yoshiie Goda(manga)
    • Kore-eda Hirokazu(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Bae Doona
    • Arata Iura
    • Itsuji Itao
    • Kore-eda Hirokazu
    • Yoshiie Goda(manga)
    • Kore-eda Hirokazu(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Bae Doona
    • Arata Iura
    • Itsuji Itao
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 45User reviews
    • 107Critic reviews
    • 65Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards

    Videos1

    U.S. Version
    Trailer 2:08
    Watch U.S. Version

    Photos51

    Bae Doona in Air Doll (2009)
    Arata Iura and Bae Doona in Air Doll (2009)
    Bae Doona in Air Doll (2009)
    Bae Doona in Air Doll (2009)
    Bae Doona in Air Doll (2009)
    Bae Doona and Itsuji Itao in Air Doll (2009)
    Bae Doona in Air Doll (2009)
    Air Doll (2009)
    Bae Doona in Air Doll (2009)
    Bae Doona and Itsuji Itao in Air Doll (2009)
    Arata Iura and Bae Doona in Air Doll (2009)
    Bae Doona in Air Doll (2009)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Bae Doona
    Bae Doona
    • Nozomi
    Arata Iura
    • Junichi
    • (as Arata)
    Itsuji Itao
    Itsuji Itao
    • Hideo
    Joe Odagiri
    Joe Odagiri
    • Air Doll Maker
    Sumiko Fuji
    • Widow
    Sei Andô
    Tasuku Emoto
    Tasuku Emoto
    • Peep-tom Student
    Mari Hayashida
    Mari Hoshino
    • Apple Woman
    Ryô Iwamatsu
    • Owner of Video Rental Shop
    Tomomi Maruyama
    Tomomi Maruyama
    • Moe's father
    Miu Naraki
    • Moe
    Jyonmyon Pe
    Masaya Takahashi
    • Ex-substitute Teacher
    Ryôsuke Takei
    • Strange Man
    Susumu Terajima
    Susumu Terajima
    • Policeman
    Takashi Yamanaka
    Takashi Yamanaka
    Takashi Yamanaka
      • Kore-eda Hirokazu
      • Yoshiie Goda(manga)
      • Kore-eda Hirokazu(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

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    Daijôbu de aruyô ni: Cocco owaranai tabi
    5.7
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    The Truth
    6.5
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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The huge watch on the air doll's left wrist always points to the same time: 3 o'clock.
    • Quotes

      Nozomi: It seems life is constructed in a way that no one can fulfill it alone.

      Nozomi: Just as it's not enough for flowers to have pistils and stamens, an insect or a breeze must introduce a pistil to a stamen...

      Nozomi: Life contains its own absence, which only an other can fulfill...

      Nozomi: It seems the world is the summation of others and yet, we neither know nor are told that we will fulfill each other...

      Nozomi: We lead our scattered lives, perfectly unaware of each other...

      Nozomi: Or at times, allowed to find the other's presence disagreeable...

      Nozomi: Why is it that the world is constructed so loosely?

    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Cannes Film Festival 2009 (2009)

    User reviews45

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    7/10
    the return of ARATA
    With each of Kore-eda's new films, he tries new topics and/or narrative approaches. This film reminds me less of his previous work and more of Michel Gondry's short film that's a part of the TOKYO!(2008) compilation (a collection of 3 films with the topic being the city of Tokyo directed by three directors - Michel Gondry, Leos Carax, & Bong Jun-Ho).

    Unlike some of his previous films that had connections with "family" and "memories" (AFTERLIFE, DISTANCE, NOBODY KNOWS, MABOROSI, & STILL WALKING), AIR Doll also connects but focuses on Losses - not about loved ones passing away, but the lost of values and feelings that make us human. In a much more surreal narrative compared to his previous realite approaches to story-telling (HANA being the exception as he was trying to dabble with comedy and period-pieces), AIR DOLL's story is dark and fairy-tale like. As usual the cinematography is perfect and appropriate for the story he is telling, and Kore-eda in this case works with Taiwanese DP Lee Ping-Bing to bring some of the most beautiful visuals and colors to each and every scene - the close-ups utilizing soft spot-focus are good enough to be used as Leica advertisements.

    While the subject matter to AIR DOLL could have treaded onto "hentai" territory, Kore-eda keeps it in its surreal context and what results is a reflection on how we all are lost in a time where we also have all our material needs satisfied as substitutes to the valuable things in life we no longer have.

    It's great to see the enigmatic Arata returning to a Kore-eda film (as always, his characters almost always come across as the alter-ego to the director), and Kore-eda again shows his love of the movies. I had no idea he actually liked THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY.

    My favorite of Kore-eda's work still being THE AFTERLIFE, DISTANCE, and NOBODY KNOWS, but AIR DOLL is a bold attempt for Kore-eda, showing he can break the mold and continue on his journey of bringing new ideas to the film medium. Kore-eda and Kiyoshi Kurosawa are no doubt two of Japan's most talented filmmakers today.
    helpful•9
    5
    • fundaquayman
    • May 6, 2010

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 26, 2009 (Japan)
      • Japan
      • Official site (France)
      • Official site (Japan)
      • Japanese
    • Also known as
      • Tokyo, Japan
    • Production companies
      • Engine Film
      • Bandai Visual Company
      • TV Man Union
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 2 hours 5 minutes
      • Color
      • Dolby Digital

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