Lars And The Real Girl [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.

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.

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 cheap, patronizing, made for t.v. movies designed to make you cry. And lets not forget the type of movies Robert Downey Jr talks about in Tropic Thunder.

This is NOT that kind of movie. The script, director and Ryan Gosling's performance all combine to create a film about a character dealing with mental health issues in a mature, non-patronizing, believable way. There is lots of comedy in this movie but it is never directly aimed at the protagonists delusional condition.
I can not recommend this film highly enough, every aspect of it is worthy of five stars. Amazing performances from Emily Mortimer and Paul Schneider but Gosling gives an epic performance full of emotion and subtlety in a very difficult role. It is directed very well, moving at just the right pace and the director realizing he doesn't need to show off.
Soundtrack, set design, costume, lighting, everything is perfect.

This is an essential film for everyone to see and I would especially recommend it to anyone with an interest in psychology or mental health.