Lars and the Real Girl on DVD
Quirky Romance Showcases Another Side of Ryan Gosling
The story of a man who forms a romantic relationship with a life-sized doll could have gone in several different directions.
In the case of Lars and the Real Girl, this premise reveals the humor and pathos of a man and his delusion, rather than going for cheap shots and easy laughs.
Comedy and Tragedy
While mental illness isn’t funny, screenwriter Nancy Oliver (Six Feet Under) and director Craig Gillespie (Mr. Woodcock) find the humor in the situation. Lonely bachelor Lars (Ryan Gosling) learns through a sleazy co-worker about a website where he can purchase a life-sized doll to be his synthetic girlfriend. When “Bianca” arrives at his doorstep, Lars is thrilled to introduce his brother (Paul Schneider) and sister-in-law (Emily Mortimer) to his new silicon friend. Based on the suggestion of their family doctor (Patricia Clarkson in a beautiful performance), they pretend to accept his delusion and encourage the rest of the town to share in this charade that may or may not cure his mental illness.
Meanwhile, a sweet co-worker (Kelli Garner) has her eye on Lars. Even though he pledges his loyalty to Bianca, he still finds the co-worker’s kindness very appealing. A devout Christian who refrains from physical intimacy until marriage, Lars continues his sessions with the doctor (under the guise of administering treatment for Bianca’s low blood pressure), until he is forced to confront his fear of being touched, childhood traumas, and dependence upon a doll for companionship.
This strangely moving film shifts back and forth between light comedy and tearful drama, never staying too long in either direction. As in his magnificent performances in the movies Half Nelson and Fracture, Gosling displays considerable depth and range while portraying a highly sympathetic (though considerably disturbed) character. Schneider gives an alternately touching and comical performance as the guilt-ridden brother who blames himself for his younger brother’s misfortunes. Mortimer’s sensitive performance as the pregnant sister-in-law feels so authentic and is so pivotal to the story, that she represents the very heart of the film.
DVD Bonus Features
This DVD contains no commentary, but does offer two fun featurettes and a deleted scene. The featurette “The Real Story of Lars and the Real Girl” provides some behind-the-scenes information about the making of the film and includes brief interviews with the director, screenwriter, and actors. The featurette “A Real Leading Lady” is a tongue-in-cheek description of how they found Bianca, how they prepared her for various scenes, and how she behaved on the set. The brief deleted “bathtub” scene neither adds nor detracts from the film.
- Lars and the Real Girl
- Director: Craig Gillespie
- Run time: 107 minutes
- Rating: PG-13
- DVD Bonus Features: The Real Story of Lars and the Real Girl Featurette; A Real Leading Lady Featurette; Deleted Scene; Theatrical Trailer.
