Lars and the Real Girl
2007 Directed by Craig Gillespie
Synopsis
The search for true love begins outside the box.
Sometimes you find love where you'd least expect it. Just ask Lars (Academy Award Nominee, Ryan Gosling), a sweet but quirky guy who thinks he's found the girl of his dreams in a life-sized doll named Bianca. Lars is completely content with his artificial girlfriend, but when he develops feelings for Margo, an attractive co-worker, Lars finds himself lost in a hilariously unique love triangle, hoping to somehow discover the real meaning of true love. You'll be swept off your feet by Lars And The Real Girl, hailed as "One of the Year's 10 Best" by The Associated Press.
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Good prequel to Drive. Shows Driver becoming a real human being.
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When my friend described 'Lars and the Real Girl' as "Ryan Gosling in a romantic relationship with a sex doll", I thought that I was in for the creepiest film experience imaginable. Quite the contrary actually, as this film has more heart than many other romance films, despite one half of the relationship being made out of plastic.
The film could have been an insulting mess in its exploration of mental illness, as Gosling's 'Lars' is never really diagnosed with a certain disorder, but many will recognise some traits - anxiety, reclusiveness, etc. It could have been patronising, the supporting characters could have all mocked 'Lars', however, it never goes down the road you're expecting it to go down.
Instead…
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Bizarre but very original story about Lars, a dysfunctional man who decides to have a relationship with a doll. It's above all about acceptance, human kindness and compassion for the other. It made me feel sad for Lars, for his condition but at the same time happy because through that lie that everybody helped him to create, he begun to finally live. It touched me.
Wonderful!Ryan Gosling has an extraordinary performance, the guy really can do anything! Brilliant!
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An outstanding Ryan Gosling provides the performance of his career in this charming film about acceptance, relationships and loneliness. But Lars and the Real Girl is so much more than that – its the sort of film that Hollywood is lacking. These beautifully original pieces of filmmaking are rare, largely because they suffer to make money at the box-office. While they don’t carry the appeal of the big budget action romps, their retrospective acclaim in the awards seasons and from critics make them as, if not more, important to the film industry.
Many will be put off by its seemingly ridiculous premise, but this film deserves your attention and I urge you to watch it. The story is compelling, the performances are stunning and the pace is perfect. There aren’t many people who won’t enjoy this film – it’s fantastic.
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Strange little movie this. Obviously.
However, it is pretty fantastic also.
It turns a slightly uncomfortable and perverted story into a wonderfully funny, inspiring and uplifting tale. Gosling is outstanding. His man, who shuts himself off from everything, and finds heart, soul, love and joy in front of our eyes, is a thing to behold.
I could do with one myself..
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Lars And The Real Girl proves that you can throw any role at Ryan Gosling and he will give it his all. Giving yet another exceptional performance, he leads this film superbly, somehow managing to making its bizarre premise uplifting. Undeniably strange but beautifully original at the same time, this film is both funny and touching; whilst you may think that there's nothing to take away from a moustached man falling in love with a life-sized doll, you may just find yourself pleasantly surprised.
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Surprisingly delightful. And while on the topic of surprising, I wouldn't have guessed in a million years, in a story that centers on an "artificial girlfriend", that when "The News" was spreading through the community about Lars's girlfriend, and watching the expressions on the faces of her friends and acquaintances, that I actually got a little choked up. I guess I had bought into the story more than I had realized. I really enjoyed this one.
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This has been on my "need to see" list since I missed it in the theaters. It was a perfect mellow rainy afternoon movie. Ryan Gosling is delightful and charming, not a slickster like the roles he usually plays. Very good support from Emily Mortimer, Patricia Clarkson and a number of other lesser-knowns. Sweet, thoughtful and with a good message.
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Very moving drama with a great cast, a beautiful setting and a beautifully told story at its heart. Parts of it are really funny, without actually being all in-your-face about it and it never comes at the expense of the characters, but rather the situations they are in.
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3 stars, only because of this amazing song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9vDrv1vxVU&list=PL34520126FDD4A4B6
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When my friend described 'Lars and the Real Girl' as "Ryan Gosling in a romantic relationship with a sex doll", I thought that I was in for the creepiest film experience imaginable. Quite the contrary actually, as this film has more heart than many other romance films, despite one half of the relationship being made out of plastic.
The film could have been an insulting mess in its exploration of mental illness, as Gosling's 'Lars' is never really diagnosed with a certain disorder, but many will recognise some traits - anxiety, reclusiveness, etc. It could have been patronising, the supporting characters could have all mocked 'Lars', however, it never goes down the road you're expecting it to go down.
Instead…
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What a sweet, clever, creative movie. Flawless.
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A piece of indie filmmaking that follows every cliche the niche can offer.But thanks to Ryan Gosling's incredible performance this is one of those few by the number indie pieces that actually feel honest,real and heart-warming instead of the usual cringe fest we get so often.
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This could have been terrible. But it was quite endearing and it's Gosling's performance that cements this.
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Interesanta.