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Lars, played by the always brilliant Ryan Gosling is a socially troubled young man who has problems interacting with others. He lives in a bunk house attached to the garage of his brother Gus and sister-in-law Karin; played terrifically by Paul Schneider and Emily Mortimer respectively. While they worry for his social life (or lack there-of), Lars gets up, goes to work in a cubicle and comes home by himself everyday and seemingly just wants to be left alone. Until one day he brings a "guest" over to his brother's place for dinner. This guest, to the shock and worry of his siblings, is actually a high-priced, anatomically correct love doll called Bianca. Lars treats Bianca like he would a real person - he has conversations with her, dresses her and eats with her.
A difficult film to review because there are so many layers and so many different relationships to dissect and pick at that is better to actually see than read about. There's the female co-worker whom wants nothing more than a date with Lars. We have the relationship with Lars and his brother Gus that as we come to find out has an interesting, familial past and of course the several members of the community and the way in which they all interact with Lars and Bianca. The story is completely preposterous. There's no way that any of what takes place in the film could ever actually happen. But the story is handled in such a precise and contemplative way that it's not really doubted for a second until leaving the theater. The actors all handle their roles so well that nothing seems contrived or unbelievable.
As great as everyone is throughout the picture, Gosling is by far the standout. Though he plays someone who may seem a little slow and more than a little emotionally challenged, this is not the usually lame, Oscar-bait type of role as in Forrest Gump or I Am Sam. Gosling makes Lars feel like a real person with just the right amount of reluctance, disconnection and emotionally scarring as to not seem overplayed. It's a terrific performance that although probably won't see an Oscar nod, certainly has the potential to be in the running.
Lars and the Real Girl is a genuinely touching and unique film. Unforuntately sure to be overlooked, it is a gem of a film that is not filthy or crude. The PG-13 rating will help its standing at the box office, but probably won't find its niche until a DVD release or an Oscar nod; whichever happens first. The rich characters and moving interactions and relationships between them work unbelievably well with layers upon layers to work with and develop. Fotunately the director and screenwriter haven't mucked up a thing and instead paved the way for a delightful piture that I can't recommend on a higher level. It's really a film for everyone... everyone.
Links: IMDb profile - full cast and crew Official Site Flixster Profile for Lars and the Real Girl
andrew@moviepatron.com | |||||||
reviewed by Andrew James
The most interesting dynamic of course is between Lars and his doll. We learn a lot about Dan and his past just from his conversations with Bianca and even Lars' made-up past of her life story. What makes the story so compelling, is not only watching Dan's character grow emotionally, but the perfect blend of comedy and drama (surprisingly more of the latter than of the former). This is a truly touching film that had me wrestling with my emotions. In Cast Away, I remember thinking, "I'm not going to cry over a damn volleyball, I'm not going to cry over a damn volleyball." Here, we have the sort of the same emotional tugging. I found myself laughing at the fact that I was saddened and had a little lump in my throat over a piece of plastic.
