In a small, nondescript Midwestern town, Lars Lindstrom (Ryan Gosling) lives alone in the garage of his family home. His timid nature and lack of social skills isolate him from his peers, including his brother Gus (Paul Schneider) and pregnant sister-in-law, Karen (Emily Mortimer). Everyone is surprised when Lars brings home a ‘friend’ he found online, Bianca, but much to the disappointment of his friends and family, Bianca is no ordinary woman; she is a Real Doll™, an incredibly lifelike (and expensive) sex toy.
After Lars is diagnosed as suffering from delusions, Gus and Karen are able to rally support from the initially reluctant town. Bianca’s life is quickly filled with appointments, volunteer work and well-wishing visitors. Instead of ridiculing Lars, the town is surprisingly supportive of his relationship and goes out of their way to make the couple feel comfortable. At the same time, Lars and Bianca both receive treatment from the local doctor (Patricia Clarkson), revealing Lars’s painful past and present inability to deal with physical affection.
For Craig Gillespie’s directorial debut, Lars and the Real Girl is impressive. Gillespie sensitively deals with the somewhat awkward subject matter. It is touching without feeling forced and sappy. The film is beautifully shot; very simple yet each frame captures something special, demonstrating Gillespie’s eye for detail.
Gosling gives a pretty remarkable performance as Lars. He perfectly portrays every minor nuance of the character, from a nervous eye twitch to his softly spoken demeanour. Paul Schneider and Emily Mortimer also give understated performances, which add to the film’s beauty.
The only problem with this quirky film is that it hasn’t managed to gain a wide release, so check your local art-house cinema for session times or purchase it online.
For those who are interested in Real Dolls and the kind of people who purchase them, Nick Holt’s documentary Guys and Dolls (2007) is worth watching. Holt interviews four men and their silicon sweethearts and looks at the production and success of Real Dolls. Slightly awkward and a little sad. You can watch it for free on Google Video.
By Steph
