Lars & The Real Girl

Featuring: Ryan Gosling, Emily Mortimer and Paul Schneider.
Directed: Craig Gillespie.
Written: Nancy Oliver.


With a little understanding, I approached this film not really knowing too much about it, in turn making the experience all the more enjoyable. A tender and endearing document ‘Lars & The Real Girl’ is a sad, beauty full, happy story.

Following Lars (Gosling), a bereaved alienated affected veteran of circumstances, we inhabit his world as he communicates with everyday. Polite, reserved, sweet and delusional Lars lives in the garage of his brother Gus (Schneider) and pregnant wife Karin (Mortimer). Perhaps stirred by Karin’s pregnancy and his inabilities Lars seems indefinitely lost. Concerned with his well being the couple attempt efforts to help him interact more successfully, however, Lars has other plans, seeking solace in a life-size anatomically correct doll.

Visibly affected, twenty-seven year old Lars still wears the veil (figurative and literal) his Mother knitted for him before her death during his infancy and bears the scars of his broken hearted Fathers inability to function. Based very much in reality, charmingly the story has no cool pretensions but rather an honest earnest. Fantastic yet believable I found myself lost in the environment. Set in a minimal, wintry, seemingly small town, the establishing shots are as spell binding as the story but raises the question could this same story work in an unrelenting faceless city.

Like life, personed with quirky characters and idiosyncrasies we’re asked to question what is normal behaviour and who is perfect. Observing we see Lars move about courteously yet never really connecting, until a colleague at his non-descript job brings to attention a web site providing ‘Love Dolls’, leading to the arrival of Bianca, a companion and a form of self medication.

Treated differently this could’ve been a cringe worthy slapstick experience, however successfully it manages to retain its composure appearing thoughtful and heart-warming. Devoid of sinister sex slurs with moments of collected subtle slick humour I found myself warmed by the situations rather than dark laughs at.

Bianca, although inanimate gives a great performance, integrating wonderfully into scenes, she provides a vessel for Lars to make his journey to the living. Made real by Lars and those close to him, she allows Lars to exorcise his demons and learn life’s lessons, unwinding. Her presence also provides some poignant comments on men’s and women’s wants, needs and desires and importantly points to greater acceptance of differences.

This stirring story certainly moves emotion with moments of teary tender beautiful sadness, although a little patchy Gosling is endearing as Lars, believable and understated, he balances child quality with aged seriousness, making the film an exorcise in human conditions.