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Starring Ryan Gosling, Emily Mortimer
Directed by Craig Gillespie
Nancy Oliver, a frequent scribe on TV’s Six Feet Under, penned this extraordinary dramatic comedy.
Set in the kind of small town favoured by indie directors (think Broken Flowers meets Northern Exposure), Lars and the Real Girl studies relationships: Lars and his sister-in-law, Lars and the townsfolk, Lars and his new girlfriend.
Played with eye-catching, button-downed conviction by Gosling (Half Nelson), Lars is an awkward, shy and troubled young man who ignores the concern of those around him.
Paradoxically, his desperate need for a meaningful relationship leads to the internet where he meets Bianca. The problem is not that she can’t walk but the fact that Bianca is a blow-up doll.
Lars and the Real Girl is a wonderful, erudite examination of delusion and the instinctual kindness of love.
As Lars re-engages with his community he forces them to face their obligations, help this sweet-centered son and his girl – real or otherwise.
So much is on offer it is regrettable that Oliver and Gillespie steer Lars toward Nora Ephron territory by films end, muting some of their ample thunder.
Yet it’s a minor misstep in a heart-warming drama, a film made better by a resolute cast and the thoughtful nuggets of humanity found therein.
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