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Amazon.co.uk Review
To some, Lars and the Real Girl will play as comedy; to others, tragedy. Though Craig Gillespie (Mr. Woodcock) allows Lars Lindstrom (a mustachioed Ryan Gosling, miles away from Half Nelson) a happy ending, the road is far from smooth. This rumpled Midwesterner couldn't be more miserable. His brother, Gus (Paul Schneider, All the Real Girls), and sister-in-law, Karin (Emily Mortimer, Lovely and Amazing), fall over themselves to cheer him up, but Lars cannot be moved; he’s been like that since childhood. Then a porn-addicted co-worker hips him to the lifelike Real Doll. The next thing everyone knows, Lars has a new girlfriend named Bianca. She's from Brazil, she's shy, and she uses a wheelchair. She's also made of silicon. (Because Lars is a devout Christian, hanky-panky is out of the question.) Since he's finally emerging from his shell, his doctor, Dagmar (Patricia Clarkson), advises Gus and Karin to play along with the "delusion." Soon the whole town, including Margo (Kelli Garner), who harbors a not-so-secret crush on her officemate, gets in on the action, forcing Lars to rejoin the human race or crawl deeper into psychosis. Written by Six Feet Under's Nancy Oliver, Lars and the Real Girl is built around such a preposterous premise, it's hard to know whether to laugh or cry. Fortunately, the actors play it straight. Gosling does his best to make Lars sympathetic, but Schneider and Mortimer, fully convincing in their concern, are the true heart and soul of this odd little film. --Kathleen C. Fennessy, Amazon.com
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
35 of 35 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
The premise sounds a trifle creepy, but in practise it's beautiful. A man so shy he is virtually a recluse, so shy contact with others physically hurts him, orders a "real doll" and develops a relationship with it. The automatic assumption being he buys it in order to have sex with, but hat couldn't be further from his mind. Lars (Gosling) has the innocence of a child, and the kindness of one, along with the social acumen of one, and through Bianca (Doll) he learns to deal with people and to conquer his self-imposed loneliness; he uses the doll to exorcise all his social demons and fears. He was a man being suffocated by his own fear and pathology and his relationship with the doll isn't sexual or weird: it's catharsis.
He lives in a small town, where the minds should be just as small. But it's a social idyll, and it's a joy to watch. The entire town take Bianca under their wing. It's a process, naturally. Their initial reactions range from derision to horror, but the goodness of Lars is matched in the goodness of the town-folk. Their kindness and acceptance allows Lars the time he needs to heal himself mentally, emotionally and spiritually. We see him evolve from scared child unable to be with people to grown man who is ready for a real relationship.
Gosling's performance is beautifully understated. It has depth, nuance and genuine pathos. You'll grow to care for him very much, and when he suffers, you'll suffer with him. Another actor who deserves a nod is Patricia Clarkson as Doctor Dagmar. Her warmth and integrity make you want to lean on her shoulder and open your soul. Next to Bianca and Lars' brother and sister-in-law, Dagmar is the person who is most important in Lars' getting well. Her role is pivotal, and Clarkson's performance is wonderful.
People who require big final twists in their films will find this desperately ploddy and slow. This was never going to be a Hollywood blockbuster. It's a beautifully observed, and psychologically fascinating, homage to the nature of humanity, and to the fundamental goodness in us. There isn't a single dirty joke; no semen being spat into drinks; no having sex with puddings and no smutty allusions as to what's under Bianca's dress.
Lars and the Real Girl is gentle, warm and utterly, utterly charming.
He lives in a small town, where the minds should be just as small. But it's a social idyll, and it's a joy to watch. The entire town take Bianca under their wing. It's a process, naturally. Their initial reactions range from derision to horror, but the goodness of Lars is matched in the goodness of the town-folk. Their kindness and acceptance allows Lars the time he needs to heal himself mentally, emotionally and spiritually. We see him evolve from scared child unable to be with people to grown man who is ready for a real relationship.
Gosling's performance is beautifully understated. It has depth, nuance and genuine pathos. You'll grow to care for him very much, and when he suffers, you'll suffer with him. Another actor who deserves a nod is Patricia Clarkson as Doctor Dagmar. Her warmth and integrity make you want to lean on her shoulder and open your soul. Next to Bianca and Lars' brother and sister-in-law, Dagmar is the person who is most important in Lars' getting well. Her role is pivotal, and Clarkson's performance is wonderful.
People who require big final twists in their films will find this desperately ploddy and slow. This was never going to be a Hollywood blockbuster. It's a beautifully observed, and psychologically fascinating, homage to the nature of humanity, and to the fundamental goodness in us. There isn't a single dirty joke; no semen being spat into drinks; no having sex with puddings and no smutty allusions as to what's under Bianca's dress.
Lars and the Real Girl is gentle, warm and utterly, utterly charming.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
The story is about Lars Lindstrom (Ryan Gosling), a quiet, shy and mentally disorientated guy, who begins to carry out a relationship with a mail-order doll called Bianca. OK sounds a little smutty, but Lars, being a church going, polite kind of a person really believes this mannequin woman to be real.
Now this becomes a shock to his brother Gus (Paul Schneider) and sister-in-law Karin (Emily Mortimer) who initially think that Lars is dating someone, and becoming more social, but to their surprise they discover themselves having dinner with a mannequin for who Lars speaks to and also, speaks for. There in itself wraps up a comedy sketch in itself, but after careful consultation with a psychiatrist, she diagnoses that Lars has created this delusional silicone dummy relationship to deal with a number of personal issues and if they really love him (which they do), they must play along with this.
So they do, and things start to get to the stage where they tell their friends, their church and before you know it the whole town is on it and starts treating Bianca as a real person in an effort to help Lars through this ordeal, even to the extent of giving her a job.
It all sounds kind of stupid, but there is a real sense of camaraderie, love and support which shines through as Lars has to come to terms with his world.
A heart-warming light comedy that doesn't lend itself to violence or SFX, and shows you that the simplest of films can be worth watching.
Now this becomes a shock to his brother Gus (Paul Schneider) and sister-in-law Karin (Emily Mortimer) who initially think that Lars is dating someone, and becoming more social, but to their surprise they discover themselves having dinner with a mannequin for who Lars speaks to and also, speaks for. There in itself wraps up a comedy sketch in itself, but after careful consultation with a psychiatrist, she diagnoses that Lars has created this delusional silicone dummy relationship to deal with a number of personal issues and if they really love him (which they do), they must play along with this.
So they do, and things start to get to the stage where they tell their friends, their church and before you know it the whole town is on it and starts treating Bianca as a real person in an effort to help Lars through this ordeal, even to the extent of giving her a job.
It all sounds kind of stupid, but there is a real sense of camaraderie, love and support which shines through as Lars has to come to terms with his world.
A heart-warming light comedy that doesn't lend itself to violence or SFX, and shows you that the simplest of films can be worth watching.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Despite having such a curious yet seemingly unpromising premise, this film is a delight. I haven't watched a film that has made me laugh and cry so much in a long time. Despite involving a sex doll, there is nothing sleazy about the plot or the characters. It's a gentle and moving film with some great performances.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
original and engaging
There is no other film quite like this! A man, painfully shy, orders a sex doll with whom he believes he has an actual relationship, and other people actually humour him in his... Read more
Published 26 days ago by schumann_bg
a breath of fresh air
I love this film. It is funny, warm, beautifully acted and simply different to anything else I've seen in a very long time. Read more
Published 1 month ago by orfiethefilmbuff
In Every Dream Home a Heartache
Having watched and thoroughly enjoyed 'Drive' my girlfriend and I were on a bit of a Ryan Gosling tip which involved her buying a few more of his films, this one included. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Spiggy
Very likeable
Lars and the Real Girl is quite an unusual film. It starts off pretty slow, building character and back story etc but without unsubtly ramming it down your throat. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Scotty
unbelievably brilliant
it was so simple, so funny, so heart warming that i couldn't take my eyes of not even for a toilet break or anything! just must see!!
Published 2 months ago by bez0123
Great Movie
I bought this entertaining and original movie for my daughter for Christmas and she loves it. Hard to give a detailed description of it but it is very good and will have you... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Silver
finally, a film that treats mental health properly
Many films attempt to deal with characters with mental health issues. Sadly, these are either horrors presenting mental health as an excuse to kill scantily clad teenagers or... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Mr Blonde
Really charming
I loved this film. With its strange premise it could could so easily have been a mean-spirited charmless film but instead the incredible cast make it one of the warmest films I... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Mabbers
A teenage boys opinion
Firstly hi i am indeed a teenage boy(17) and not really a fan of anything with lots of romance, but this film is different. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Lewis Carriline
A movie about tolerance, love and finding your place
A film that I can watch time and time again, since it involves some of the best acting I've seen in a long time and one of the most ingenious and subtle psychological plot. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Susannah
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