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 Product Description: Sometimes you find love where you'd least expect it. Just ask Lars (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. Offbeat and endearing this romantic comedy takes a fresh look at dating and relationships and dares to ask the question: What's so wrong with being happy?System Requirements:Special Features: Deleted Scene - "Bathtub" The Real Story of Lars and The Real Girl A Real Leading Lady Forced Trailers: Music Within Juno Savages Trailer Farm: Death at a Funeral BonnevilleFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY/ROMANTIC COMEDY Rating: PG-13 UPC: 883904103738 Manufacturer No: M110373 Amazon.com: To some, Lars and the Real Girl will play as comedy; to others, tragedy. Though Craig Gillespie (Mr. Woodcock) allows Lars Lindstrom (a mustachioed Ryan Gosling, miles away from Half Nelson) a happy ending, the road is far from smooth. This rumpled Midwesterner couldn't be more miserable. His brother, Gus (Paul Schneider, All the Real Girls), and sister-in-law, Karin (Emily Mortimer, Lovely and Amazing), fall over themselves to cheer him up, but Lars cannot be moved; he’s been like that since childhood. Then a porn-addicted co-worker hips him to the lifelike Real Doll. The next thing everyone knows, Lars has a new girlfriend named Bianca. She's from Brazil, she's shy, and she uses a wheelchair. She's also made of silicon. (Because Lars is a devout Christian, hanky-panky is out of the question.) Since he's finally emerging from his shell, his doctor, Dagmar (Patricia Clarkson), advises Gus and Karin to play along with the "delusion." Soon the whole town, including Margo (Kelli Garner), who harbors a not-so-secret crush on her officemate, gets in on the action, forcing Lars to rejoin the human race or crawl deeper into psychosis. Written by Six Feet Under's Nancy Oliver, Lars and the Real Girl is built around such a preposterous premise, it's hard to know whether to laugh or cry. Fortunately, the actors play it straight. Gosling does his best to make Lars sympathetic, but Schneider and Mortimer, fully convincing in their concern, are the true heart and soul of this odd little film. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
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Stills from Lars and the Real Girl  Customer Reviews: Rating:  Date: 2008-07-04 Very "Real" I couldn't believe how "real" Blanca become in this film and to the community within this film. I gave this movie 5 stars b/c of how well it pulls off just that. And throughout the movie I was enraptured, and couldn't stop caring about the ostensbily ridiculous premise. A near perfect film, and yes funny, but you're never really laughing at the people in the film, wheareas I initially thought this film might be meanspirited for those reasons. Admittedly I always go to films with ridiculous sounding premises (Kissed for example) b/c I have to see how they'll pull it off. Rewards that kind of curiousity, but makes you the audience care as well. Nicely human. Rating:  Date: 2008-07-01 Don't judge by it's cover... The premise of this movie doesn't accurately describe the trip that it takes you on. When I first heard about it I expected it to be something obscene, or some very "strange" independent type film. After seeing a preview for it I decided to give it a chance and I'm glad I did. It is very funny, while at the same time very serious. Just when you think it is about to go over the top into silliness it pulls back and allows you to really fall for the characters. It's a story about how people relate to one another, and how we cope with our issues in different ways. In this movie we see a town embrace someone with a mental illness through compassion and understanding, instead of shunning them through fear. I definitely enjoyed this movie, and would recommend it. Rating:  Date: 2008-07-01 A wonderful movie This movie is a gem. From start to finish I loved it. Its a touching movie about unconditional love, acceptance, tolerance, forgiveness and basic human goodness. Ryan Gosling is a true talent. Its nice to watch a movie that leaves you feeling uplifted and hopeful. Rating:  Date: 2008-06-30 A Wonderul Film with a Beautiful Message Maybe like me you had the following thoughts when you heard about this film: "A love story about a guy who falls in love with a sex doll? Yuck! I'm not going to watch a piece of trash move like that!" Or something similar.
My wife of all people actually convinced me to give this film a chance. I'm glad I did. Otherwise I would have missed out on one of the most touching and heart warming films I've seen in a long time.
Indeed, the premise of the film does not do the message of the film justice. Yes, it's about a guy who buys a sex doll online and falls in love with her. But is so not what you think.
Ryan Gosling plays Lars and this might be his best performance yet. He blew me away in Half Nelson, but his talent has never been more obvious as it is here. Lars is obviously a troubled and mysterious young man and Gosling completely sells this character. Never do we doubt that Lars truly is in love with Bianca (the doll) throughout the film. As we discover more about Lars and the source of his problems, Gosling shines even more causing us to have nothing but love and compassion for this deeply troubled character.
The real beauty in this story is found in the love that Lars' family and community surrounds him with. Not fully understanding his illness, they all work together to treat Bianca like a real person in order to help Lars deal with the delusions he is fighting against. These are truly the nicest people on the planet, and some might think this is too unrealistic or over the top. However, I will admit that it worked for me and not once did I doubt the sincerity of these completely unselfish people. There are also several funny and slightly uncomfortable moments throughout the film where the townsfolk create various ways to make Bianca one of their own. Even Lars's church family welcomes Bianca in to their midst to show support to this man they love so much.
As Lars comes to grips with his struggles we are treated with several soul stirring scenes of a lost character finding hope and redemption. The personal breakthroughs he makes are wonderfully inspiring and will bring tears of joy and laughter. The ending is perfect and brilliant, leaving us with the closure we long for throughout the film.
So am I really going to recommend a movie about a guy who falls in love with a sex doll? No way. I'm going to recommend a movie about a deeply troubled soul who finds hope and redemption through the overwhelming love that flows out of the people in his life. Don't be turned off by the off the wall premise or by what you think this move is about. This is truly a wonderful film with a beautiful message. I'm so glad that for once I didn't listen to myself. Rating:  Date: 2008-06-30 buoyant feel-good film I enjoyed "Lars and the Real Girl". The premise is crazy but it is a welcome craziness these days when things are taken too seriously. There's a suspension of disbelief: how can a man court a mannequin and survive in society? But the good people of the village rally to give the poor man support. It's a touching film that neverthless overstays its welcome by lopping on several post-scripts at the end that smack of Frank Capra at his most manipulative. I do feel that it is sincere for the main part and certainly a welcome off-beat romp I'd recommend.
Curtis Stotlar |