wayzim
13-Aug-2009, 05:47 PM
This isn't a sex farce but a quirk little film about how we distance ourselves from each other, how Community ( in a Pinch ) can come together to support a member in crisis, and what it might take to reconnect with Family and Friends.
Lar and The Real Girl (2007)is about Lars(Ryan Gosling ), an extremely withdrawn but still functional young man in a small town, reeling from an unmentioned Family crisis.
He lives in a garage apartment near his brother Gus (Paul Schneider )and his sister in law Karin's (Emily Mortimer)home but gently rebuffs her repeated invites to eat with them.
Lars works at some nameless Tech firm, with coworkers who are quirky but far more social, including Margo (Kelli Garner ) a mousy yet still cute newbie who seems to take to Lars.
But he's comfortable in his bubble until a buddy shows him a website for detailed lifelike sex dolls. While Lars seems uninterested, weeks later a box is mailed to his place and the town is introduced to Bianca.
What makes this film work is that the sex doll is used as everything but, with Lars creating an elaborate backstory for the Brazillian/Danish missonary girl which we eventually discover mirrors his own tragic childhood. The town soon enough realizes( on the advice of a doctor/psychiatrist, Dagmar(played by Patricia Clarkson )they must embrace his delusion in order help this gentle soul through his crisis.
Some moments don't quite work, but like that proverbial Train, another better scene comes along right after. Lars and The Real Girl is a thoughtful grounded movie with layers well beyond it's Porn Title.
I encourage people to give it a chance.
Wayne Z
Lar and The Real Girl (2007)is about Lars(Ryan Gosling ), an extremely withdrawn but still functional young man in a small town, reeling from an unmentioned Family crisis.
He lives in a garage apartment near his brother Gus (Paul Schneider )and his sister in law Karin's (Emily Mortimer)home but gently rebuffs her repeated invites to eat with them.
Lars works at some nameless Tech firm, with coworkers who are quirky but far more social, including Margo (Kelli Garner ) a mousy yet still cute newbie who seems to take to Lars.
But he's comfortable in his bubble until a buddy shows him a website for detailed lifelike sex dolls. While Lars seems uninterested, weeks later a box is mailed to his place and the town is introduced to Bianca.
What makes this film work is that the sex doll is used as everything but, with Lars creating an elaborate backstory for the Brazillian/Danish missonary girl which we eventually discover mirrors his own tragic childhood. The town soon enough realizes( on the advice of a doctor/psychiatrist, Dagmar(played by Patricia Clarkson )they must embrace his delusion in order help this gentle soul through his crisis.
Some moments don't quite work, but like that proverbial Train, another better scene comes along right after. Lars and The Real Girl is a thoughtful grounded movie with layers well beyond it's Porn Title.
I encourage people to give it a chance.
Wayne Z