Love Object (2003)

Genre: Psychological Thriller
Writer and Director: Robert Parigi
Page at IMDb

One could almost classify this movie as a romance with a twisted love triangle: one between a young man, a lovely young coworker, and a sex doll designed to look like the lovely young coworker. Some might go so far as to call this a black comedy, which I could completely understand. I'm not entirely certain what to call it, so I listed the genre as "psychological thriller" in the hopes that such a title is at least a little agreeable. This movie is an off-beat independent film created by a first-time film maker (to date, Love Object is Parigi's only movie), and some significant lines are being crossed in terms of genre.

The action of the movie follows an uptight office worker named Kenneth Winslow (Desmond Harrington), who was recently given a major project by his stuffy boss Novak (the amazing Rip Torn). Kenneth writes instruction manuals for a living, and when handed this project, he is also assigned assistance in the form of a hot little temp, Lisa Bellmer (Melissa Sagemiller). The pairing awakens some sort of hopelessly repressed sexuality in Kenneth, and he starts obsessing over Lisa.

About the same time, a couple of Kenneth's slacker coworkers introduce him to an online company that will create a customized sex doll for ten thousand dollars. Despite the cost, as Kenneth's sexual needs slow him down at work, he decides, on a late-night whim, to order one of these sex dolls, customizing it to look like Lisa. He overdraws his account, but Kenneth is confident he'll be promoted at work very soon. When the sex doll arrives, he excitedly has his way with it, and immediately afterwards attempts to have it returned. Naturally, a sex doll company is not going to accept back a doll that's been deflowered.

Kenneth, because of his job, knows how to take the time to read any and all instructions that come with his purchases. So instead of wallowing in buyer's remorse, he starts reading up on how to get the full effect of a life-sized sex doll. This leads him to learning how to dance, buying the doll nice clothes, and basically "dating" it/her to fulfill the fantasy of owning one of these devices. The experience has its good points: Kenneth is better motivated at work, and finally starts working on his major project with success. Unfortunately, the instructions for the doll suggest that Kenneth treat the doll like someone he knows, and he decides to do this--with Lisa, his temporary assistant. To help fuel his fantasy, he starts taking things off of her desk and learning about her own likes and dislikes, all of which is intended to heighten his experience with his new sex doll, whom has been named Nikki.

Meanwhile, Mr. Novak has decided to fire Lisa for incompetence and being an emotional wreck. Fearing that his inspiration for his current man-on-doll relationship with Nikki may be in danger, Kenneth talks Mr. Novak out of firing Lisa. Following this, Kenneth decides to assist with Lisa's job training, and the project starts to flourish. Kenneth and Lisa start getting comfortable around each other and getting to know each other, and Kenneth's relationship with Nikki starts getting weirder.

A bondage element is added to Kenneth's relationship with Nikki, and he starts developing interests in the kinkier side of sex. While this goes on, Kenneth starts seeing an opportunity with Lisa to develop a real-life relationship, and he starts thinking about leaving his doll and pursuing his interest in a coworker. At this point, it becomes apparent that Kenneth views Nikki as a real personality, and his activities with this doll leaves the audience wondering whether Kenneth has lost his mind, or if Nikki has become a living thing.

The answer is, in this case, that Kenneth has gone insane. As expected, this isn't real-life insane, this is movie insane--and there is a big difference. Kenneth believes that Nikki is alive, and trying to dominate his life when he starts trying to pursue Lisa. Although he does get lucky with Lisa, it proves unsatisfying when he starts to notice that Lisa is, underneath what he could see, a very different person than he had fantasized through Nikki. He gets angry, and blames Nikki. After a fight (he has one-sided fights with the doll more than once), he chops up Nikki's body and disposes of the remains. When he does this, his nosy neighbor and apartment manager, Radley (the great Udo Kier) overhears the argument and the electric carving knife he uses to tear apart Nikki.

I've probably said more about this movie than I rightfully should, but I do rather like the way this movie ends. When I first watched this movie, it was a conclusion that I didn't see coming, although there are plenty of fourteen-year-old pseudo-intellectuals out there who will claim to have saw the ending fifteen minutes into the movie. But I digress....

What sold this movie for me was the overall tone and design, along with a really nice performance by Desmond Harrington. From what I've read from others who have seen Love Object, there is something exceptionally twisted about this movie, particularly the way it builds to a head and comes to an unexpected end.