When you first pick up Lars and the real Girl and read the plot, you are instantly taken aback by the wacky concept of the film. An emotionally damaged Ryan Gosling finds solace in a blow-up doll. This might turn the viewer off from watching this film, and that is a shame. Lars and the Real Girl is a very dramatic film filled with awkwardly funny moments. Awkward to the extent that even though it is funny, the humor is shrouded in an odd drama that might make you hold back from laughing.

The story takes place in a small town where the inhabitants are just the average plaid wearing churchgoers. Everyone knows everyone else’s business, and when a bit of gossip forms it spreads throughout the town like wildfire. Lars, as stated, is emotionally damaged. He has severe intimacy issues and can’t get close to anyone, even his brother (Paul Schneider) and sister-in-law (Emily Mortimer) with whom he lives. His inability to cope with people has led him to a blow-up doll, named Bianca, which he buys off the Internet. Lars instantly becomes infatuated with Bianca and never wants to leave her side. Now his brother, sister-in-law and everyone in the town have to learn to cope with her/it for Lars’ sake. Eventually they all become very much a part of Lars’ and Bianca’s life.

Lars' new girlfriend brings on confusion

Ryan Gosling pulls off an excellent performance. This, I think, was one of his more odd and challenging roles, especially seeing as how he is playing essentially two characters, Lars and the doll. He had to act as though he had severe intimacy issues and, at the same time, had to act as though she was real, from having conversations with her to going as far as singing to her. It just blew me away, how he managed to pull them both off so spectacularly.

Not only was Gosling's performance stunning, the rest of the cast did a great job as well. When Lars first introduces Bianca to his family and peers, it is humorous to notice the different expressions of shock and bewilderment of each character. Although, after the initial surprise subsided, we see how each character used their own tactic to muddle through this strange predicament they were forced into. For example, Gus (Schneider) took a close-minded approach, while Karin (Mortimer) was very hands-on and enthusiastic. Other characters, such as Dagmar (Clarkson), who plays the doctor trying to find out exactly why Lars has mentally constructed this doll to be a real person and Margo (Garner), a co-worker who has a crush on Lars, do an excellent job helping the viewer get a clearer understanding as to what exactly is going on with Lars and the doll.

Lars acts the gentleman

The combination of odd drama and great acting give this weird, realistic spin to the movie, which made me wonder what it would be like if this happened in my own life, if someone close to me fell in love with a blow-up doll. What would I do? How would I react? This is not the usual question you ask during a movie, thus weird, but it seems to me that this was one of the goals of the movie. Take an obscure plot and make it dramatic to the point where it actually becomes a thought in your mind.

From start to finish Lars and the Real Girl is very engaging, but you really feel the power of the movie near the end when you notice a tear running down your cheek. And that is when you realize that even though it has such an off the wall story, it turned out to be so beautiful and moving.

9/10