Character profiles and potential cast

Character profiles

Girl:

This character appears frantic and on edge which causes us to think this must be about mother’s visit and leads us to our assumptions about mother being scary. This girl is very talkative and opinionated (the entire film is a monologue by her) which shows she likes to have a friend she can just speak at and who will accept everything she says. She seems to worry about appearance and surface level things, but we assume that this is because of fear and a need to please her Mother. However, at the end of the film, we take a different perspective on all these things. We see that she is an unreliable narrator and perhaps none of it is true. 

Dorothy (Dotty): 

This character is very reserved and does not have any lines. She fits societies expectations of women as looking feminine and 'pretty' with delicate, rosy makeup, wearing dresses, eating very little, acting submissively and not speaking as she seems to not have any of her own opinions. This all hints at the fact that she must not be a real human. Her reactions and actions are very artificial and mechanical; she hardly moves and replies with subtle smiles and nods. This not only gives clues to her true form, but also shows she is possibly a figment of the Girl’s imagination and is simply there to listen to her. However, at the end the mechanical movement of the dolls head turning makes her seem more sinister and we cannot be sure whether she is alive or not. 

Mother:

Mother is mostly shown in close ups at the beginning, which makes her appear ambiguous and sinister. We ask ourselves questions about who she is and where she is going. She has a distinct walk and clothing, possibly bold sunglasses, giving her personality even though we do not hear her speak. A lot of our impressions of her are from what the girl says about her. We assume she may be unpredictable and possibly mean. At the end, sympathy is provoked for the mother when we see her fear and we question what we have been told about her, and what we have seen of the girl.

Potential cast

Girl: Someone confident who can vary their tone throughout the film. Possibly blonde hair, contrasting with 'Mother' who is brunette (similarly to the contrast in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane). Will not be dressed up glamorous and elegant like the doll - Maybe my friend Venus who lives in the block of flats I am interested in filming in, and is confident and slightly more alternative looking (might have to purchase wig as she sometimes dyes her hair).

Dorothy: Somebody who looks a lot like the mannequin I am using, who has delicate facial features and is wearing natural makeup and false eyelashes like doll. Long, silky straight hair which can be brushed and is down. - My friend Libby who has long brown hair and looks similar to the mannequin. A reliable person who I know would turn up to shoots. She has soft features and a girlish aesthetic, making her believably 'doll like'. (buying wig similar to her hair for the mannequin)

Mother: Brunette hair, possibly styled in a distinct way. Must be an adult (believably the mother). Must seem older than the girls, yet glamorous and extravagant. - Family friend, Jo, Dark brown/black hair with a fringe, will have colourful clothes and is easy to contact. She is Venus' mum and also lives in the block of flats.