Due to familial obligations and other responsibilities, my coverage of this year’s film festival was limited. I did make it a point to watch this intriguing documentary, which reveals a relationship between a charming but lonely man and the combination of a love doll/artificial intelligence. Though the idea sounds disturbing and unnerving, I was nevertheless interested in watching how this works in our modern day and age. Though the film’s subject and material are somewhat unusual, the documentary offers genuine insight into our technology and how a human and AI relationship is plausible.
Let me make one thing clear, though. I do not condone relationships of this kind, but I found the entire idea and the movie’s subject compelling. The documentary follows the everyday life of a science-fiction enthusiast living in a very small town as a gas station clerk with such a relationship. Because he is a sci-fi and anime fan, where such stories exist, the entire concept makes sense for him. Though once very enamored with a human co-worker, the opportunity to be in a relationship with her ended upon her tragic death at the hands of a murderer. The film follows the subject’s journey when dealing with this tragedy and how he finds what he thinks is a suitable substitute for what could’ve been.
It is far too easy to judge the subject of this story, but director Bryan Carberry makes it a point to expose how good-natured and personable the man is. It is also easy to either be sorry or weirded out by this story. Still, Carberry does a solid job of keeping his film mostly judgment-free and focused on his subject’s happiness and the joys he experiences during this experience. While this story is not typical, it reflects how technology allows people with social problems to experience things a lot more confident people take for granted.
While it is a bizarre and strange situation, the film’s subject still manages to get through his life functionally and make friends outside of his relationship. The documentary offers this story as food for thought. Are we truly prepared for how artificial intelligence can affect our lives? Though the film never paints a completely negative picture, it still raises many other questions about these artificial relationships’ healthiness. This film would have benefitted from a psychological analysis of the situation, and that is where I feel it falls short. Either way, I very much liked his character and personality and wish him the best in his future.