Ventriloquists and their wooden colleagues have provided some truly creepy screen moments over the years -- from the Michael Redgrave sequence in the classic British thriller "Dead of Night" to a 1962 "Twilight Zone" episode featuring Cliff Robertson -- but seldom has that relationship been played for (intentional) laughs. Enter "Dummy," a fresh, delightful, perfectly cast romantic comedy by promising writer-director Greg Pritikin that had Santa Barbara International Film Festival audiences giggling appreciatively. Given that the voice-thrower in question happens to be played by Adrien Brody, the Oscar-nominated star of "The Pianist," this crowd-tickler would look to be a no-brainer for the kind of distributor who -- knock on wood -- could maximize the picture's sleeper potential.

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