Lars and the Real Girl

Director: Craig Gillespie
Year: 2007
My Rating: ***

Turns out not only is Ryan Gosling a hottie (have you seen The Notebook?), he's also immensely talented! Quelle bonne suprise! (Although he's more of a pudgy cutie in eccentric clothing in this one, FYI...) I loved this movie, despite feeling on the brink of tears for most of its duration.

While the plot operates under a fantastical premise (a reclusive man treats a full-size blow-up doll as his girlfriend and the community around him accepts his behavior), it is done in a delicate enough way to make it believable. Gosling is very adept at communicating his character's state of mind and making him relatable; I understand that Gosling's preparation involved actually treating the blow-up doll as his character would -- perhaps he's this generation's Hoffman, who knows?

This film is quite tender and actually one of my favorite therapy movies to date, as Patricia Clarkson plays a professional, sympathetic practitioner who makes me proud to aspire to joining that line of work. The rest of the cast also turn in beautiful, subtle performances that realistically grapple with the deeper issues behind Lars' far-fetched reality. I found myself rooting wholeheartedly for Kelli Garner in her role as Lars' real (yet timid) admirer, and ultimately understanding why everyone in Lars' life goes along with the charade.

My money is on Gosling garnering more Awards Show acclaim in the years to come (as a follow up to his Nom for Half Nelson in 2006 -- another must-see, by-the-by). In the meantime, Lars... is a touching, introspective film that I recommend.