Lars and the Real Girl

Great movie and original story line. (2009-01-02) Rating: 5/5
I love this movie and its characters. It really is a heart warming movie and really funny. The characters were really well developed and well acted. There were scenes that really made you squirm in your seats due to the awkwardness in the movie that the poor main character had to endure. You could not help but feel for the main character who is a lovable introvert and his caring and well meaning family. The whole town sort manifest their needs through the doll which they adopted. Fun movie.
One of the Best ever (2009-01-01) Rating: 5/5
As someone with family members who suffer from mental illness, I found this to be one of the best movies ever made dealing with this subject. It also is just a wonderful film about the power of love and acceptance to heal. I should be so lucky as to live in the town portrayed in this film should I ever slip just a little sideways from reality. Watch this movie.
DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME (2008-12-23) Rating: 1/5
After thoroughly enjoying this super sweet movie, I thought it might do my family and friends some good if I went around for a few weeks with a life-size guy "doll" of my own, let's call him Tim.
Well, after 6 months in Anoka State Hospital and 2 commitment hearings before a judge, I can now say that it was a terrible idea and something that I would not recommend to anyone ever.
Awkward, Unusual, and Incredibly Charming. (2008-12-22) Rating: 4/5
Lars is a good guy, but he's missing something in his life. His brother, Gus, and wife, Karin, are both worried about him since he seems to spend an awful lot of time alone. Saying he's shy would be a massive understatement. When a woman speaks to him, he is pretty much incapable of responding. Physical contact from anyone is painful to him. Friends and family think he should get a girlfriend. When a co-worker shows him a site that sells love dolls, he shows little interest at first but winds up warming up to the idea. Once Bianca enters the picture, she winds up changing Lars and the town that he lives in for the better.

I had heard a lot about this movie within the past year or so and hadn't gotten around to seeing it until now. I honestly kept putting it off. How could a movie about a guy carrying around a sex doll be any good? It was interesting because I wound up really enjoying it. I guess when you get right down to it, I can relate to Lars more than a lot of other people. I don't run around buying sex dolls thinking they're real or anything, but I'm also very shy and could kind of put myself into Lars' shoes more often than not.

Ryan Gosling fits this role perfectly. I hadn't really seen anything with him that I was really impressed with until now. The quirks he's capable of portraying in this role were as awkward as they were charming. The way he pulls off talking to a doll for over an hour and not only making it believable, but entertaining is also incredibly impressive.

The movie is labeled as a comedy, but I didn't really find myself laughing out loud all too often throughout most of the film. It's not really that kind of comedy. It has this Garden State kind of feel to it, where it's not gutbustingly hilarious but there's a certain charm to it that keeps you watching. At its roots, it's very heartfelt which may not be something everyone is expecting from the trailer or plot synopsis.

Lars and the Real Girl is a film that relies on awkward situations or rather a rare occurence that winds up causing multiple awkward situations and it focuses on people's reactions to these situations that occur. It's worth seeing for Lars' odd behavior and the snowball effect it causes. I may have enjoyed it a bit more than others since I felt I probably related to the main character more than others might and it felt like I heard the same amount of hype for this as I did for Garden State or Juno, but I felt like this was as strong as those films if not stronger.

Rating: 8/10
The pink room. (2008-12-20) Rating: 5/5
Lars and the Real Girl starring Ryan Gosling is the saddest and yet charming film of 2007. I didn't know whether to feel pity for Lars or play along just like everyone in his small town does. Gosling is another Leonardo DiCaprio, his talent is evident and he plays every role honest and selfless. Gosling's performance as shy, lonely and deeply troubled Lars just broke my heart, you can feel his isolation and agony. The supporting characters are extraordinary as well. This film is definitely creative, story of a man who longs for companionship but ends up substituing it for a life-size doll. Sweet, tender film, nothing offensive here. Enjoy!