Lars Lindstorm is an awkwardly shy young man in a small northern town who finally brings home the girl of his dreams. The only problem is that she's not real - she's an anatomically correct sex doll that Lars ordered off the Internet. But sex is not what Lars has in mind, but rather a deep, meaningful relationship. His sister-in-law is worried for him, his brother thinks he's nuts, but eventually, upon the recommendations of the family doctor the entire town goes along with his delusion in support of this sweet natured boy that they've always loved...

Lars and the Real Girl is one of those movie that, in the wrong hands, could have been a total farce of the worst kind. But what we end up with, thanks to first time director Craig Gillespie, is a movie that is funny, touching and incredibly well executed.

Ryan Gosling plays Lars Lindstrom, a loveable introvert whose emotional baggage has kept him from fully embracing life. He still lives in his parents house. His parents are both dead, and while Lars's brother (Gus) and sister-in-law (Karin) live in the main house, Lars has moved in to the garage so that he can have more privacy.

His co-worker Margo (Kelli Garner) is attracted to him, and he to her, but connecting with Lars is not an easy job. Even his Gus and Karin find him hard work, for while he is sweet, he is obviously uncomfortable in the company of others. But he does have a social life within the community, he goes to church every Sunday, and is always willing to help others, and has a job where he is well liked by his co-workers. He shares an office cubicle space with a guy who shows him a sex doll site he's found on the Internet. Lars isn't interested, as it's pornography, but the next thing we know one of these dolls arrives at his house.

Gus and Karin are overjoyed when Lars tells them that he's met a girl, called Bianca, on the Internet. Lars tells them that she used to be a missionary, but now she's in a wheelchair and doesn't speak much English. She's also very old fashioned and doesn't believe in sex before marriage, and so Lars asks if she can sleep in their spare room. But once they discover that Bianca is a sex doll, they decide it's time to call in the family doctor.

After the doctor has summed up the situation she instructs Lars's family to play along with his delusion for the time being. It is obvious that Lars has introduced Bianca into his life to cope with some problem in his life, and it's hoped that once this is resolved he will no longer have a need for her. But as the locals slowly accept Bianca, it soon becomes clear that she also becomes a symbol for everyone in the community to get something they need.

We never really discover why Lars needed Bianca. Whether it was because Lars's was growing anxious that Gus and Karin were about to have a baby and this would mean that things would change, or whether things from his childhood were finally rising to the service is uncertain. It doesn't really matter though, as the story is told so well that the audiences just goes along with it without needing any additional information to enjoy this tale.

If I had one complaint, it's that the Real Doll company depicted in the movie is actually a real company. You can go onto their web site (which is shown in the movie) and buy a doll that is identical to Bianca. This kind of makes the film seem like the longest, most expensive advertisement for a product (if you ignore Reese’s Pieces involvement with E.T. and Pepsi's blatant promotion in Back to the Future). Thankfully, it's pretty obvious that the company had no real creative input into the film, so you can sort of excuse the extended ad for them. Besides, I doubt it's the sort of product that people will subconsciously buy after seeing the film.

Extras include Deleted Scene - "Bathtub" (43 sec) which also includes a text explanation of where in the movie it would have slotted in; The Real Story of Lars and the Real Girl (10 min, 12 sec featurette that is not, as you'd expect, a look at events the movie was based on. I've read postings on IMDB that claim the movie is based on real events - it isn't. No, this is a behind the scenes look at the script, actors and crew); The Real Leading Lady (5 min, 56 sec featurette that sees cast and crew talking about their time working with Bianca - all very tongue in cheek); and Theatrical Trailer (2 min, 24 sec).

While this is not the first movie to tackle someone who becomes obsessed with a love doll (Love Object had a pretty good stab at it - no pun intended - but was more of a psychological horror) it's certainly the most touching.

It's incredible that Gillespie manages to evoke so many feelings in the audience towards Bianca. She doesn't speak or move, but the audience somehow manages to form a connection with her. I suppose it's no more strange than what Spielberg did with E.T., but Gillespie has to be applauded for taking an object of ridicule and turning it into a very real person. There are subtle changes in her face, but for the most part trying to get an audience to connect with a lifeless doll can't have been easy (cue gag about some B-list celebrity).

In fact, by the movie's close I defy anyone not to have fallen for Bianca, or at least for the influence on the community her presence has. To sum up, this is one of the sweetest movies I've seen in a long time - and usually I don't do "sweet." A total joy from start to finish.

10

Darren Rea