Movie Review: Lars and The Real Girl (2007)
Every now and then, you come across a movie that turns out to be a gem and it feels so good to be able to enjoy such a movie among the overwhelming numbers of mediocre to average movies that are forgotten as soon as they are over. Lars and The Real Girl, directed by Craig Gillespie, is one of those movies that you expect very little off and end up being blown away.
Set in a small Minnesota town, this is the story of Lars (Ryan Gosling), a socially inept but likable young man who chose to live in the barely furnished garage behind the house he and his brother Gus (Paul Schneider) inherited after their father’s death. Having suffered a terribly lonely childhood, Lars keeps to himself as much as he can and has extreme difficulties interacting with people. One day, he announces to Gus and his wife (Emily Mortimer) that he has a girlfriend named Bianca. To their utter shock, they soon realize that Bianca is a life-sized doll Lars bought off the internet. Unsure of what to do, they manage to take Lars and Bianca to the family doctor (Patricia Clarkson) who convinces them to treat Bianca as a real person to help with Lars’ therapy. Hilarity ensues…
Who would have thought a story about a delusional man in love with a plastic doll would be so affecting? Don’t let the strange synopsis or off-beat trailer put you off this movie, this is an outrageously hilarious and flawlessly executed flick with a big focus on kindness, acceptance and compassion. There is a lot of potential for cheap laughs and perverted gags and thankfully, the screenplay never ever ventures into these territories. Sure, it may not be credible that an entire small town would agree to treat Bianca as if she was real but it made for a really touching and funny story with a hopeful twist. Using a doll as a replacement for a real relationship may not be as absurd as one may believe. Think about it, in a relationship we are all projecting internal expectations and hopes onto the other person much like Lars is doing with the doll. Ultimately, this is a study of the impact of kindness, how and why we love, the line between healthy and unhealthy fantasy and what it means to be grown-up.
Canadian actor Ryan Gosling has been scarily impressive on the indie scene with an outstanding Oscar-nominated performance in 2006 Half-Nelson and he has proven to be one of the most talented and low key actors in the industry. Here, he is mesmerizing as the socially awkward Lars and he captures both the darkly funny aspect of his character and the poignant and sad background of Lars. Gosling is truly genuine, believing that Bianca is real and there isn’t a single moment where we question that fact. The supporting cast is equally impressive with terrific performances from Emily Mortimer, Paul Schneider and the consistently excellent Patricia Clarkson. It cannot be emphasized enough that the superb cast really kept the film grounded and pitch-perfect.
Elevated by an incredible performance from Ryan Gosling, Lars and The Real Girl is an hilarious and poignant off-beat comedy and one of those little gems that one is so glad to uncover every now and then.
A-
Notes: Rated PG-13 for some sex-related content. 106 minutes
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16 Comments
Lars and the Real Girl was quite a pleasant surprise, but when is someone going to give Paul Scneider his own film.
Loved the way the community embraces him in this flick!
Did you change the pics on this or do I need to stop drinking… By the way, your piece is up!!!
Thanks again, Castor!
When I first went to watch this I was convinced it would be stupid, and then I was absolutely blown away by the sheer power, and at the same time sweetness, this film has. It’s definitely one of the more under-appreciated films of its year. It’s good that he’s got some films coming out this year, 3 years off is a long time.
It was in my Top Ten of 2007 and an absolute gem, but like you I was convinced that it was loved by the snobbery of the film community before I finally watched it myself. Morbid curiosity drew me to it, and I’m thankful it did.
There is a sweetness and earnest quality about it that is irresistible.
@ Fitz: Paul Schneider was very good in this, I agree
@ Kai: No you are right, I added the pictures after I was able to capture them instead of the stock Google image pic
@ Univarn: I know… I remember the trailer being quite off-putting and I never expected to see this movie. Lucky I did!
I love this movie. Its so sensitive somehow. Lots of fun and a really sweet love and coming of age story!
By the end of this movie it had me crying, remembered me a lot of Edward Scissorhands but less nuttier.
@ Vanessa, CMrok: It’s pretty surprising that everyone loved this movie so much and yet, it hardly made a dent at the box office.
I didn’t hear about it until it was on DVD. Bad marketing could have been a huge part of it’s lack of early reception.
Mortimer delivers such a underrated performance in this movie. I have shivers go up my spine during this scene espeically:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9OxnHj43uE
I never realized that Paul Schneider was in this movie. He really had a break out year this year, capturing a few awards for his role in “Bright Star”. Heck, looking at his filmography, he was also in “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford”, which adds yet big name to that wonderful ensemble cast.
Nice review. This movie deserves all the attention it gets. I personally view it as the Frank Capra film for my generation. Really heartwarming but in a very eclectic way. Plus, Paul Schneider does have his own movie. “All The Real Girls”. Which is a must see.
@ Red: Very well-acted scene with a lot of cathartic release and the fact that she can’t scream only adds to its genuineness.
@ Nicholas: Thanks! It truly is a lovely movie and I hope a lot more people get to see it. I will definitely give All the Real Girls a look sometime.
Hello, Debbie Downer. I loathed this movie. It was not because this weird guy wanted a relationship with a real doll. The movie was uninteresting to me. I didn’t care about Ryan Gosling character.
It was like Chinese water torture to me.
@ Branden: Well thanks for being the devil’s advocate. I found it a bit odd that every single person loved that movie
No problem. I will wear the horns. A couple friends of mine either loved it or hated it. Nobody was in the middle.
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