Lars and the Real Girl'
Runtime: 106min 20secsTagline: The search for true love begins outside the box.
Written by: Nancy Oliver
Directed by: Craig Gillespie
Plot Outline:
Lars (Ryan Gosling) is an awkwardly shy young man in a small northern town where he is a popular fellow. After much concern from his brother (Paul Schneider) and his wife (Emily Mortimer) about his being a loner, he finally gives in. He purchases a sex doll online and proceeds to introduce her to his brother and sister-in-law as his girlfriend.
The problem is clear, she's not real - she's a sex doll, but sex is not what Lars has in mind, but rather a deep, meaningful relationship. He genuinely believes her to be quite real. His sister-in-law is worried for him, his brother thinks he's nuts, but despite the concerns of his friends and relatives, a local doctor (Patricia Clarkson) notes that since Lars otherwise has a highly functional personality that threatens no one, this delusion is a sign that he is working through some personal issues and his loved ones should play along in the meantime.
With some persuasion, the entire town eventually participates as well, with an uncanny growing enthusiasm for this unusual, but enjoyable activity, as Lars continues to pursue what he perceives as a deep and meaningful relationship with the doll.
Overall Impressions:
Being nominated for original screenplay, just by looking at the synopsis, I can certainly see why. I think the idea behind this is more deep than what you see on a superficial level & this is it's strength. I'd have certainly voted for it over Juno for originality, that's for sure. See this is part of the problem with the Oscars, the average individual hadn't had a chance to see this yet. In the UK we've only just had it released, but I guess they don't care what 'we' think. Ah well, back to the philum.
I sort of just expected numerous gags where real doll + Lars, hang about in numerous places causing a sense of awkwardness and soon the novelty would be zilch. I'm glad to report that though this does happen in numerous instances, it's been treated more as though she was real and they did have a regular relationship & this gets you more engaged than I expected.
A major part of this (beyond the writing) is Ryan Gosling. I've only seen him in this and that flick last year where he was playing cat & mouse with Sir Hopkins (Fracture), but this guy truly is leaving me impressed. Patricia Clarkson conveyed a lot as the psychologist/doctor too, and with few words. This is not to say the remainder of the cast were crap, just they were more 'functional' rather than glowing.
Another big plus here is that the conclusion satisfies. We wonder how this can end upto a point, and we aren't let down. The end of the film isn't the end of the story, but it is a conclusion to this chapter. I don't mean to say you should expect sequels, but I feel this does sum up the end for me.
Overall, it's a light/slow entertainer. I'd certainly say it's worth a watch, but perhaps not for those who are big on fast-paced films. Being quite a surreal story, I would have thought it would be hard to get yourself so involved with the characters, but they certainly pull that off, leaving you touched (in a good way).
I'd watch anything with Gosling in it!