RojoLars and the Real Girl
What happens when you cross an episode of Jerry Springer with North American town over a winter? You get ‘Lars and the Real Girl’.
Lars (Gosling) is delusional, he’s doting in a pathetic way. Lars is a weirdo in a cute sort of movie way. You could be forgiven for thinking that Lars may go on a axe killing spree at any point of this film, but he doesn’t. Instead, Lars sends away for a luxury sex aid (a high end blow up doll) and introducers her to the town as her fiancé.
Yes I know a few questions could pop up. You could question the authors sanity, or maybe the producers eye for film. These questions are valid, but they are quickly answered within about 15 minutes of Lars and the Real Girl. As the film is unfolded the events that make this seemingly strange tale into a lovely character film of Lars’s delusion and the enamour we find in it are found. As we the audience find more enamour for Gosling’s character so does the town. You see like us the audience; the town or the characters chosen to portray the town are pretty normal people. The have there own little inflections, their own idiosyncrasies but you will immediately warm to them. As they all greet Lars’s new fiancé with fear and trepidation (I mean who can blame them this guy is claiming a mannequin as being real) they begin to treat his new girlfriend with the tenderness of a town that has found the beauty of the new woman amongst them.
This is a well written, superbly played piece of film there is little doubting this. But when one poses the question does this film break the mold I must answer unfortunate for me it did not. Yes it was funny, it was warming I really liked a lot of things about it, but for me it couldn’t escape the feeling of samey same. Another ‘You, Me, and Everybody we know’ in a small town ensconced in snow.
The story takes place over the winter season (An easy chose for the makers “the winter for a mans discontent, the winter of his delusion, a winter for a town to wake to the beauty of this delusion). The story of one of a mans growing up. A man-child becoming a man. A story of a man finding his true love through his delusion for a sex aid. Added to this prosaic formula the quirky characters (who aren’t too quirky) and I think you’ll see what I mean when I say ‘samey same’.
Overall a good movie one I recommend. This is a dinner and date film (I took my girlfriend to see it then we got Subway. I had a pork rib sub and a M&M biscuit, she had a coke cause she was full cause of all the food she had eaten at work). Now I could suggest you be a little romantic but I only review film it really isn‘t my place. The main thing is you should see this film because it’s worth seeing. It is a good story. The characters are likeable, the script sincere, enjoyable (though a little contrived at points). And as for the performances I shell only say you will be impressed if you are impressed by things of that nature.
7/10
