Lars and the Real Girl

I can't think of another movie quite like Lars and the Real Girls, a movie with such a ridiculous premise that some how works perfectly. I went into the film thinking this would be a comedy with some dramatic moments when in reality it is the exact opposite. This is one of the saddest films I have seen all year, though ultimately it unfolds into an uplifting fable in the most unexpected way.

Ryan Gosling had one of my favorite performances last year in Half Nelson and I think this one is even better. Playing a man so detached from life, he never crosses the line into over playing it. He is so damaged he can barely manage to be touched by another human being, which is what makes his new girlfriend Bianca the perfect partner. Emily Mortimer as Lars' sister-in-law is just as good as someone who does everything she can to help him.

Director Craig Gillespie also deserves special praise. He somehow keeps the right tone through out this picture. It is a delicate balancing act, teeter too far one way and the whole film is ruined. He keeps the focus less on what people will think when they see Lars' new partner and more concerned with what Lars is thinking. He somehow gets us to to like Bianca and have genuine feelings for her, as outrageous as that sounds.

The miracle in the plot is that the people of Lars' small town somehow come to an unspoken agreement to treat Bianca with the same courtesy that Lars does. This is partly because they have watched Lars closing into himself and are glad to see him attempt to break free. The film never mocks it's characters, there are moments of humor but they are not forced.