I had one of those celluloid love affairs this weekend. You know, where you go to the movie and it couldn't be more perfect. It turns out to be exactly what you wanted (and needed). That's the way it was with Lars and the Real Girl.
First off, I know I should have a picture of Ryan Gosling up next to this post, but why do that when I have just discovered my new love Paul Schneider? Man, is he good looking. But I'm going to skip past Paul's dark eyes and large hairy forearms and talk about the movie.
If you don't know, the movie's about a man who falls in love with a life-size plastic sex doll he ordered over the internet. He develops a delusion that his "girlfriend" Bianca is real. As titillating as the movie's description sounds, the movie never wanders into obscene or even creepy territory. Overall, it's about Lars (Ryan Gosling) and his search for connection in life. And Gosling shows that his performances in Half Nelson and Fracture weren't just flashes in a pan--he's a gifted gifted actor. Emily Mortimer and Paul Schneider are great as Lars' sister-in-law and brother, and Patricia Clarkson hits a homerun as a psychiatrist who helping Lars with his girlfriend. Clarkson is cooler than cool in this role--really outstanding.
Lars reminds me of the little jewel of an indie movie you get every year or so about a town coming together to help one of its loved ones. The Full Monty, Calendar Girls, Chocolat--you get the idea. And when you pair Lars, his family, and the townfolk with the stark, cold rural Wisconsin scenery, everything just pops into life.
Lars and the Real Girl is the kind of movie that just makes you feel good to be alive--as cornball as that sounds. In a nutshell, it's about how we're all different and how that doesn't really much matter when push comes to shove. The people in Lars' small town embrace his "girlfriend" Bianca...and it's touching and beautiful. The movie just kind of whistles along your heart.
First off, I know I should have a picture of Ryan Gosling up next to this post, but why do that when I have just discovered my new love Paul Schneider? Man, is he good looking. But I'm going to skip past Paul's dark eyes and large hairy forearms and talk about the movie.
If you don't know, the movie's about a man who falls in love with a life-size plastic sex doll he ordered over the internet. He develops a delusion that his "girlfriend" Bianca is real. As titillating as the movie's description sounds, the movie never wanders into obscene or even creepy territory. Overall, it's about Lars (Ryan Gosling) and his search for connection in life. And Gosling shows that his performances in Half Nelson and Fracture weren't just flashes in a pan--he's a gifted gifted actor. Emily Mortimer and Paul Schneider are great as Lars' sister-in-law and brother, and Patricia Clarkson hits a homerun as a psychiatrist who helping Lars with his girlfriend. Clarkson is cooler than cool in this role--really outstanding.
Lars reminds me of the little jewel of an indie movie you get every year or so about a town coming together to help one of its loved ones. The Full Monty, Calendar Girls, Chocolat--you get the idea. And when you pair Lars, his family, and the townfolk with the stark, cold rural Wisconsin scenery, everything just pops into life.
Lars and the Real Girl is the kind of movie that just makes you feel good to be alive--as cornball as that sounds. In a nutshell, it's about how we're all different and how that doesn't really much matter when push comes to shove. The people in Lars' small town embrace his "girlfriend" Bianca...and it's touching and beautiful. The movie just kind of whistles along your heart.
