Lars and the Real Girl
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Movie Reviews of Lars and the Real Girl
Movie Review: Thoughtful comedy that leaves many impressions
Summary: 5 Stars
Lars lives in one of the snowed-in Northern states; his town could be next to Lake Wobegone. He's painfully shy, in an utterly literal sense of the term - he won't even visit his brother and sister in law in the house adjacent to where he lives. Maybe it's no suprise that he orders a customized, anatomically detailed love doll.
The surprise is that it comes to life for him. Everyone else sees a slightly creepy adult toy, but he brings "Bianca" everywhere - to dinner with his brother and sister in law, to a Christmas party with his co-workers, even to church. He concocts an elaborate fantasy about why she says so little, why she needs a wheelchair, even why she needs to borrow clothing. A psychologist tries to address his delusion but, while it works itself out, recommends humoring him. And so, the entire community does. If they're going to treat her as real, they're going to do it right.
Therein lies the quirky charm of this movie - an entire town rallying around one of their own, playing their part in his odd drama. If that's what's best for him and there's no harm in it, they'll do it. A few balk, of course, but only a few and not for long. They accept Bianca fully into their community, sometimes to Lars's dismay.
The happy ending (happy enough) makes this into a movie about redemption, but that over-simplifies this complex film. The premise looks like some modern-day fairy tale. Once set in motion, the movie carries itself forward with understated kindness, maybe even nostalgia for a small-town closeness, whether that closeness ever existed or not.
-- wiredweird
Movie Review: More Than Skin Deep
Summary: 5 Stars
After the initial trailers, I was unsure what to expect from this. Was it comedy? Tragedy? A made-for-Sundance indie film? The real question, though, and the one that is most apropos to any viewer's enjoyment, is this: Will I buy into the concept that a life-sized doll can play an important role in a movie?
For me, the resounding answer was "Yes!" The script and the subtle directing drew me into the idea and caused me to care about Lars' state of mind, and heart. This single man has a child-like quality and a desire for companionship, yet he's been inhibited by his own past and isolation. In his desire to survive, he comes up with a remarkable and startling idea of trying to form an actual friendship with a made-to-order doll from the Internet. In this role, Ryan Gosling walks a fine emotional line, showing us Lars' unstable but never mean-spirited psyche. The roles of Lars' brother and sister-in-law provide the necessary counterpoint, allowing moments of tenderness and humor that could've easily turned into farce.
This is a funny, moving, and heartbreaking story, that manages to be a modern day fable of sorts while maintaining an air of realism. Although it's a stretch to believe that an entire town would go along with Lars' delusion, it works in this scenario, because it serves as a lesson of how far friends and family will go to show compassion to one in need. In so doing, they give Lars the freedom to face his own damaged soul and move forward. Bolstered by great acting and directing, this movie is a gem that I hope becomes an enduring classic.
Movie Review: Lars!
Summary: 5 Stars
There are so many movies I won't see. We need a lot more like this.
It's not mean-spirited, a huge plus. I'm not necessarily big on "feel-good" movies (and don't care about happy endings), but I want movies that, vis-a-vis their own reality, treat their characters with dignity.
The movie plays in a real and natural way. People aren't tossing off unrealistic "one-liners" and trying so hard to be memorable and cool, as if the scriptwriter(s) were striving for quotes to make some list for posterity. The people act real and natural; the situations are not real and natural but the cast makes them believable.
And I finally got to see Ryan Gosling in a movie, and now I see why "everyone's raving." I liked this entire cast, and hate to single anyone out, but I do love Patricia Clarkson's presence in films; I sometimes think she needs to be in every film!, even if she just pops in at the credits and waves to the audience so they know she is still around. :D
I got a sense of the actors here, all the cast, that -- if you met them in person, in reality -- they would be *real, kind people* who might not necessarily want to deal with crowds and autographs, but who would respond with class. The actors themselves seem like real and good people, and it makes their characters seem real.
This movie was fun! Lots of scenes that make it feel undecided whether you should laugh or cry. And as one reviewer pointed out, this movie works REALLY well on the "meta-level," if you take it in an allegorical way.
Movie Review: A Tour De Force
Summary: 5 Stars
Wow, totally not what I expected! We are all different and Lars is no exception - he does hold a steady job and drive a car, but he keeps to himself. I would think that if: my mother died when she had me; I was raised by a father with a broken heart; and I had an older brother who could not wait to get out of town then I would probably be in much worse shape than Lars.
This movie is really about small town America, the community, neighbors and folks from church have watched over Lars to make sure he was alright. When his older brother and pregnant wife move back to town, they take over the house and Lars lives in the garage. Lars' sister-in-law wants him to be a part of their family and have breakfast and dinner with them. Lars would rather be alone. How would you react when you are confronted with a sister-in-law who you think might have similar pregnancy complications and possibly lose her life in childbirth? Lars seeks out a relationship with Bianca who is wheelchair bound and the daughter of Brazilian and Danish missionaries.
Bianca becomes an integral part of the town - getting her hair done with the girls at the beauty parlor, going to church, getting treatments from the doctor, reading to the sick kids at the hospital, etc. These time commitments cause tensions with Lars and cause him to grow and face some hard facts.
A touching, warm, story about how a different person ultimately grows up and begins to live.
Movie Review: An oddball film with a substantive emotional core
Summary: 5 Stars
It would be easy for many moviegoers to shy away from this film -- on the surface, this is a glib, kooky movie about a guy who falls in love with a "real girl" (the modern version of an inflatable sex doll) and who starts taking her around town as if she were a real, live woman. Sounds goofy, right? But if you are expecting lewd, frat-boy hijinks and cheap innuendo, you will be pleasantly mistaken.
"Lars And The Real Girl" portrays a young man who is mentally troubled, and who develops a delusion as a way of dealing with his anxieties. The film has a substantive emotional core that quickly elevates the story out of novelty status and, more importantly, several great performances that bring the characters to life. Patricia Clarkson, an always-superb indie actor, steals the show in her turn as a local small-town family doctor who is able to connect with the troubled Lars and nudge him towards stability. Ryan Gosling gives an oddly charming performance as the troubled but likable Lars, and the rest of the supporting cast is quite strong as well.
This film is a nice break from the relentless diet of cheap violence, deadening sex and trivial irony that has flooded the pop culture landscape. It has its quirks and flaws, but it is thoughtful, inventive and original enough to make it a compelling choice for film fans who are ready for something refreshing and new. Definitely worth checking out. (Slipcue film reviews)