Reviews
Lars And The Real Girl (12A)
THE joke is that the real girl is a life-size
doll, anatomically correct down to the
last detail.
Yes, even below the belt
although Nancy Olivera's script and Craig
Gillespie's direction are resolutely
unsensational.
Bianca may be a sex doll, but lonely,
dysfunctional Lars Lindstrom (Ryan
Gosling) wants her for companionship, not
sexual favours. She trained as a nun and
goes to church, so they must sleep in
separate rooms.
Buying Bianca is an obvious cry for help
from the 27-year-old living in a snowbound
community. Home is the garage
next door to his brother (Paul
Schneider) and pregnant wife (Emily
Mortimer). They worry about this shy,
awkward man who keeps himself to
himself. They worry even more when he
brings round new girlfriend Bianca,
purchased off the internet.
A trip to the local doctor-comepsychologist
(Patricia Clarkson) is a
must. They're shocked
when she advises they
should treat Bianca as
one of the family, as
though she really is a
living doll.
Amazingly, the other townsfolk go along
with the sham. She becomes the toast of
the town with people giving her flowers,
doing her hair and voting her on to local
committees. Even the office colleague
Margo (Kelli Garner), who fancies Lars,
plays along with the game.
Like most of us in this situation, their
reaction encompasses shock, sorrow,
sympathy and incredulity before adopting
Bianca as one of their own. This may be
the first time you shed a tear when a
silicone doll "dies". Gosling is all the
better for playing it all for real, not
overdoing the mental anguish or potential
farce of the situation.
Stars: Ryan Gosling, Emily Mortimer,
Paul Schneider, Kelli Garner, Patricia
Clarkson
Running time: 106 mins
Rating: Four stars
5:47pm Thursday 3rd April 2008
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