Under partly cloudy skies, the Cannes Film Festival opened the Un Certain Regard section of the Official Selection (see more on the organization of the Cannes Film Festival)

The second showing of the day was the Japanese director’s Hirokazu Koreeda’s film “Air Doll”. I read an article a few years ago about lonely men who buy blowup dolls for sex and, yes, companionship. Perhaps Hirokazu read the same article because the film uses that conceit as a springboard for a film that explores the many shades of loneliness. The “air doll” in question first serves as a quiet listener and sex toy before coming to life. She takes a job in a video store (a good opportunity for insider film jokes) before falling in love with the other video clerk.

It sounds dumber than it is. Beautifully filmed and well-acted the movie nevertheless clocks in at 125 minutes, about 35 minutes more than it should. Cut! Cut! Cut! I somehow imagine a dozen film pros screaming at the director to shorten it but he can’t bear to part with even one of his languidly unfolding scenes.

Still, it’s a strong entry and the film deserves an audience.