Lars And The Real Girl

Now before you get your crusty, skidmarked panties in a twist about Lars And The Real Girl being reviewed on a site called Movies That Can Suck It, let me explain. First off, fuck you, we'll review what we want here. Second, this movie did suck in one capacity: its a little harder to enjoy a movie when you're so concerned for the lead character. I almost cried. And I didn't even cry when my own child was born. So either I'm a callous bitch or this film was really fucking moving. Maybe a little of both.

However, despite that, the movie was enjoyable in many ways. Ryan Gosling stars as a young man whose emotionally traumatic upbringing has brought him to a breaking point. And boy, does his stress manifest in an unusual way. Lars becomes infatuated with a Real Doll, believing her to be a live human being, and leaving his brother and pregnant sister-in-law (the adorable Emily Mortimer) completely bewildered and helpless. In desperation, they turn to a group of town elders, and Lar's friends and acquaintances (including a love interest) rally around him to see him through his delusion. While the extensive lengths they go through to accommodate Lars (and his plastic friend Bianca) seem dubious at times, the gestures are undeniably heart warming. You can't help but wish you had people to go to bat for you like Lar's family and friends do for him. After some sneaky therapy sessions (just watch, you'll understand) and an emotional scene between Lars and his brother, our troubled hero comes to have the emotional breakthrough needed to break out of his shell. While the ending is left open to question, you can't help but feel its at least going in the right direction.

You may find it distracting (as I did) to watch Patricia Clarkson play such a empathetic doctor after seeing her as the murderous headmaster in The Woods. Other than that, the casting was brilliant. Emily Mortimer is so likeable that you are immediately drawn into caring as much about Lars as she does. To watch her cope with Lar's mental health and her husband's guilt issues is one the most fascinating and endearing parts of the movie.

I highly recommend.