thepaulo
10-20-2007, 10:25 PM
Ryan Gosling clearly has the talent and desire to be the very best young actor of his generation. So it doesn't seem a stretch that he might be getting Oscar nominations for years to come. He got his first last year, in a small independent film (Half Nelson) that by all logic should have been ignored.
So Lars and the Real Girl has that going for it. Gosling will probably get another nomination for another hard to market film. It really is amazing that the film was even made. It had two major strikes against it. The first was that it's premise was ridiculous on the surface (that the titular "real girl" is a sex doll). But when you see the film, all those simple assumptions fade away instantly. Right from the start, the delicate nature of the problems that the characters in the film face are handled with gentle care and sensitivity. The second strike against it is that director Craig Gillespie has an image problem. Significant portions of his first film, Mr. Woodcock were refilmed by another director. Maybe we need to see Mr. Gillsepie's cut of Mr. Woodcock because the version we got kind of sucked.
Lars and the Real Girl is funny as hell. The humor comes naturally out of our empathy for a character we quickly come to care about. Lars faces a problem that seems overwhelming. The real girl is a sex doll. Lars calls her Bianca. But Lars doesn't have sex with her because Bianca triggers a delusion deep in Lars' psyche. Lars deep shyness and withdrawal is slowly reversed by his love and respect for Bianca. So what you would expect to be a creepy and sleasy film is actually one of almost wholesome compassion.
I have no special insight or training to evaluate the psychology of the film, but it seems irrelevent. The film's focus is so benign and satisfying,that it is almost a fable or bedtime story. And since Lars' battle is so hard fought, audience's seem to accept it's almost pollyanaish and inspirational arc. It may be hard to beleive so many people come to care about Lars. It could be that he seems so obviously pathetic that we can put aside being judgemental....and it's easy to laugh at him. The acting by everyone including Emily Mortimer and Patricia Clarkson is great but without Ryan Gosling this delicate enterprize might fall apart. He makes us care about someone who seems hopelessly beyond reach. 89 out of 100
So Lars and the Real Girl has that going for it. Gosling will probably get another nomination for another hard to market film. It really is amazing that the film was even made. It had two major strikes against it. The first was that it's premise was ridiculous on the surface (that the titular "real girl" is a sex doll). But when you see the film, all those simple assumptions fade away instantly. Right from the start, the delicate nature of the problems that the characters in the film face are handled with gentle care and sensitivity. The second strike against it is that director Craig Gillespie has an image problem. Significant portions of his first film, Mr. Woodcock were refilmed by another director. Maybe we need to see Mr. Gillsepie's cut of Mr. Woodcock because the version we got kind of sucked.
Lars and the Real Girl is funny as hell. The humor comes naturally out of our empathy for a character we quickly come to care about. Lars faces a problem that seems overwhelming. The real girl is a sex doll. Lars calls her Bianca. But Lars doesn't have sex with her because Bianca triggers a delusion deep in Lars' psyche. Lars deep shyness and withdrawal is slowly reversed by his love and respect for Bianca. So what you would expect to be a creepy and sleasy film is actually one of almost wholesome compassion.
I have no special insight or training to evaluate the psychology of the film, but it seems irrelevent. The film's focus is so benign and satisfying,that it is almost a fable or bedtime story. And since Lars' battle is so hard fought, audience's seem to accept it's almost pollyanaish and inspirational arc. It may be hard to beleive so many people come to care about Lars. It could be that he seems so obviously pathetic that we can put aside being judgemental....and it's easy to laugh at him. The acting by everyone including Emily Mortimer and Patricia Clarkson is great but without Ryan Gosling this delicate enterprize might fall apart. He makes us care about someone who seems hopelessly beyond reach. 89 out of 100