"An almost perfect movie with flawless performances" (Wall Street Journal), Lars and the Real Girl is a love story with an unusual couple at its core. Lars Lindstrom (Gosling) is a painfully shy, withdrawn young man who recoils from the slightest human touch. Living in a garage apartment with his brother and sister-in-law living in the main family house, Lars keeps to himself, even though his sister-in-law, Karin (Mortimer), tries relentlessly to encourage him to interact with her and his family. One day, Lars shows up to a family dinner with Bianca, a silicone sex doll he ordered over the internet. Lars is not looking for sex, though—he wants companionship. He makes up an identity for her as a paraplegic missionary of Brazilian and Danish descent, and leaves her in the main house overnight because she doesn't believe in pre-marital sex. His brother is mortified, Karin is wary but happy that the doll makes Lars happy, and his therapist (Clarkson) praises the doll, claiming that Bianca functions as a pet would—providing love and companionship without opinion or criticism. Lars and the Real Girl sincerely and openly investigates Lars and Bianca's relationship and the social stigmas it carries with it, and in the end, Gosling's stellar performance carries the film with honesty and intelligence. "This is a film whose daring and delicate blend of apparent irreconcilables will sweep you off your feet if you're not careful." (LA Times) more at larsandtherealgirl-themovie.com 35mm
2007, color, 1 hour 46 minutes, USA