Lars and the Real Girl

Here we are again. Now, when I tell you that I just saw a movie about a man and his lifelike love doll I'm sure your mind will go straight to the gutter. However, you better get it out of there because 'Lars and the Real Girl' is about as far away from the gutter as you can get. While the premise may sound a little risque, the movie is really a sweet story about a painully shy man and the community that loves him.

It's clear from the very beginning that there's something a little 'different' about Lars. He has spent most of his life living with his widower father. However, now that his dad has died and his brother, Gus and his pregnant wife, Karin, have moved back home, Lars has moved into the garage and has become more introverted.

Karin is concerned and makes all kinds of efforts to get Lars to come and join them for meals, but Lars always has an excuse ready. It takes her literally tackling him to the ground to get him to come in and join them for dinner. Karin is worried, but Gus thinks that maybe it's just his pregnant wife's 'maternal instincts' kicking in. While Lars may be a little odd, he has a job and goes to church, although his socially awkward ways get in the way of him interacting with people around him. That is, until one day at work his cubicle mate tells him about the 'real dolls' he's found online. Six weeks later Lars' "internet girlfriend" arrives and everything gets turned on it's head.

This time it's an excited Lars knocking on the door and asking if he and his 'visitor' can come for dinner. At first his family is ecstatic that Lars has finally met someone, maybe that new girl, Margo, from work who seems to have a crush on Lars?! But once he introduces his family to Bianca, a deeply religious, shy, wheelchair bound, missionary who's half Brazilian, half Danish, Gus begins to think that maybe Karin's concern wasn't so misplaced after all. Not only has Lars concocted this elaborate background for Bianca, he has an answer for every question that may come his way about his new friend, even asking if she can stay in the house with them because of her deeply religious beliefs.

After Karin and Gus are informed by local doctor, Dagmar, that Lars is suffering from a delusion and the best thing for him is for them to go along with it; they, along with the rest of the town, begin to unite around him. It takes a little time for everyone to get used to Bianca. However because they care so deeply for Lars, and once they understand, as we do, what she's allowing Lars to do; be a part of the community and live his life. Bianca begins to have a more fulfilling life than even I do! Elected to school board, out to get her hair cut with the girls, trips to lake, reading to schoolkids, even volunteering at the hospital. When Lars starts to become jealous of Bianca and how busy she is he lashes out at Karin saying that they don't care about him. She comes right back at him screaming that the only reason Bianca has such a full life is because of how much everyone in the town loves and cares about him.

The movie has it's share of funny moments, although not as many as you may think considering the premise. My favourite is the scene in the waiting room of the doctor's office: Gus and Karin come out to find a slightly uncomfortable looking child sitting on Bianca's knee with a beaming Lars saying "She loves kids." Another of my favourite moments comes near the end when Lars has just finished bowling, sans Bianca, and it begins to snow. He complains "I thought the winter was over!" this gets a laugh out of me only because that's how I've been feeling all 'spring' here in PG and I'm sure I'm not alone in this sentiment!

One of the things that really blew me away about this movie was Ryan Gosling. Anyone, like me, who remembers him as the goofy, loveable and girl-crazy Sean from 'Breaker High' has to be impressed with the metamorphosis that he has taken since starting to take on roles on the big screen. He plays socially awkward Lars so well, with a quiet self-conciousness that is perfection. Perhaps he is most impressive in 'Lars' when he starts 'waiting' with Dagmar for the 'treatments' she's prescribed to Bianca for the mystery ailment she seems to have developed to take effect. During these sessions he demonstrates Lars' vulnerability just right; watching him describe how he can't bear to be touched by another person is especially heartbreaking.

This charming, sweet and slightly quirky movie makes me wish that I lived in such a loving community as Lars does. It's one of those little gems of filmmaking that really shouldn't be missed.