Lars and the Real Girl (2007)
A plastically real and hilariously warm love story.
Written by: Nancy Oliver.
Directed by: Craig Gillespie.
Starring: Ryan Gosling.
As opening credits fade, Lars (Ryan Gosling) is seen watching from a window. His neighbour, Karin (Emily Mortimer), comes in and invites him for lunch. He promises and never shows up. Gus (Paul Schneider), Karin’s husband, wins 5$ bet with her. Lars goes to the office. Doesn’t talk with anybody. Lars comes home and sits on the bed and is frozen in a stare on the empty wall. Six weeks later Lars knocks on Gus and Karin’s door and invites them to meet his girlfriend, Bianca, who is half Brazilian half danish, and bound to a wheel chair. She is religious and so Lars and Bianca decide not to sleep on the same bed. If this isn’t intriguing enough then what happens after that is hilariously shocking. Lars is in love with a DOLL. Is it shocking now?
First time adventure by Director Craig Gillespie and first writing for the screen by Nancy Oliver (also the writer of “Six Feet Under”), Lars and the Real Girl is a complete knockout. How much ever “anatomically correct” their “plastic” creation is, it is absolutely alive. Why is Lars with the Girl? Will his neighbours accept this? Where is this all going? Let me say something, you will believe in Lars.
Ryan Gosling is FANTASTIC! Its about time Hollywood needs a new face. Unfortunately he isn’t that new. Previously acted in Half Nelson (Academy Award nomination for Best Actor) and Fracture, Ryan is perhaps using his potential to push himself farther than his own imagination. This is the best performance by an actor in a long time. He is simply brilliant. His conversations with Bianca, his dancing in the party, his “in love” smirks and the ability to converse as humoristically anti-social as possible is unbelievably amazing. This is a very well written character. This is a sure oscar nomination performance and possibly a win.
Nancy Oliver and Craig Gillespie have raised a point that perhaps goes to the very core of any social system. We love someone as a friend, a brother, a sister or a son and we love what they love. We never mention about the unusual things they do. Our love binds us to them and persuades us to care. Every single factor in any social circle is touched in this beautiful tale. This is a little tricky explanation of how this concept attacks to the very basics. If you remember Sideways and if you felt completely different about “Old Wines” then think about this. When Paul Giamatti and Virginia Madsen are talking about their penchant about wines, they explain in a realization that they are actually talking about themselves. The wines they talk represent them. Now that is a best example of screen writing basics exploring to the very core. You can talk about wines and convey your feelings to the person next to you. The way Lars and the Real girl screenplay attacks to the very core of the social system is just the same. Situations are created and questions are answered. This is a story about true love. Moreover it is about us. Our ideas, our faiths, our hatred, our fears, our laughter, our tears and our urge to be human.
Well, don’t you want to know what happens to Lars and his Real Girl?
My Rating: 9/10.
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Loved Ryan in Half Nelson, Jateen. will check this one out.
Ok. So LATRG does find a mention here in PFC.
‘The way Lars and the Real girl screenplay attacks to the very core of the social system is just the same. Situations are created and questions are answered. This is a story about true love.’
Ohk..This is a story of true love is it? How.
I saw the film and I thought, this guy is such a smartass. I mean, yes, he was all cooped up in his cocoon (courtesy a very lonely childhood with a very lonely father and no one else pretty much but once he finds out about the doll through a colleague, what a perfect way to bridge teh gap to the outside world. Bianca becomes that bridge.
And when the small town folk accept her just because they want him to come out of his shell and be normal and mingle with them, Mr. Lars conveniently defines what exactly will happen to Bianca. That leads to the end. As the film moved towards the end, I just could not empathize with Lars. He designed the whole thing. Of course he being in his cocoon he sought the refuge of the doll but still, he was in control through out.
On the other hand, his brother, played by Paul Scheidner was superb. I went back to watch many scenes because of this character. His expressions and his inability to understand what is happening is classic and so very real. Hilarious yet touching yet kind of freakish. Emily M was good as his wife and Patricia Clarkson was an apt choice for the psychologist. Ryan Gosling was as usual good but Lars, that character wasn’t as straight forward as it was made out to be.
ArthiV,
You shd write a review.
@arthi
couldn’t agree more, lars’ brother and sis-in-law were way more humane and comprehensible, you feel sympathy for lars but cannot empathise fully for you’re always left in doubt whether he’s merely faking it; i half expected such a twist and was relieved the director left it open to interpretation. even after the climax didn’t really feel lars’ story was complete.
Jateen, I’d written it at IMDb when I saw the film.
Don’t think I could again. Anyways you’ve already put in your’s here which includes the storyline too. Whats expected are reactions and I wrote mine.
I remember with what mindset I had gone to see this film. Read so much @ Craig G’s take, Ryan Gosling’s take and how he got the life sized doll to his home and the fact that he is so close to her. I was like, what is this about? Ryan Gosling, yes, I have a weakness for all his films, so I thought Ok..this is something really unusual but endearing? Got to see it!
Now I think that funda of getting the doll home et al - was that a publicity stunt? Seems so sick now that he did all that.
Enough been said I think.
I’m stopping my rant here.