Lars and the Real Girl stars Ryan Gosling as Lars Lindstrom, a loveable introvert whose emotional baggage has kept him from fully embracing life. After years of lonely solityude, Lars invites Bianca, a friend he met on the internet, to visit him in his home town. His family and friends are not only relieved but also excited to meet the girl who has brought Lars out of his shell! When Lars introduces Bianca to his brother Gus (paul Schneider) and his wife Karen (Emily Mortimer) they are stunned as Bianca turns out to be a life-size doll whom Lars is treating as a real person! After consulting with the family doctor, Lars' family and friends are instructed to along with his delusion - resulting in an emotional journey for Lars and the poeple around him!
Directed by
Craig Gillespie
Written by
Nancy Oliver
Starring
Ryan Gosling (Lars Lindstrom); Emily Mortimer (Karin Lindstrom); Paul Schneider (Gus Lindstrom); Kelli Garner (Margo); Patricia Clarkson (Dagmar); Nancy Beatty (Mrs. Gruner); R.D. Reid (Reverend Bock); Joe Bostick (Mr. Shaw); Liz Gordon (Mrs. Schindler); Nicky Guadagni (Mrs. Petersen); Doug Lennox (Mr. Hofstedtler); Karen Robinson (Cindy); Maxwell McCabe-Lokos (Kurt); Billy Parrott (Erik); Sally Cahill (Deb). Please contact SFC to add other cast members and characters.
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Very original, very relevant and very good
Mark Banks (United Kingdom)
Opinion: Recommended
This is a really good and really original film, well-deserving of its best original screenplay Oscar nomination, though it would have got my vote for winner over Juno if I had one. What's more, there was none of the 'grit' and cynicism that has accompanied so many of the other lower budget films that have been produced in recent years. It's also a great film for anybody that has either suffered from, or knows somebody that suffers from, mental illness. At one point Lars's psychiatrist (Dagmar) puts it nicely by saying "What we call mental illness isn't always mental illness; it can be a communication - a way to work something out". And the whole topic throws up many questions that most of us would really prefer not to answer, such as: who has the worst mental illness - Lars for his delusions, or Gus for being concerned that people will laugh at him because of his brother? The overall message for me, and the thing I like so much about this film, is very similar to the message in another film that tackles mental illness - The Fisher King. And that message is that people that are searching, ultimately for love, don't want our logical solutions to their problems, they want our non-logical understanding and willingness to grant what they are asking for; no matter how crazy it may seem. Because ultimately life and love aren't logical - and deep in our hearts most of us know that.
