Review of Lars and the Real Girl (2007) by Cheyne L — 27 Apr 2012

A gem of a film, filled with genuine emotions and a sweet empathy, both between the characters on screen, and shared to the audience .. when one begins getting into the story, we can't help but feel the same questionable attitude as his family does towards Lars and his, well, romantic decisions, but what would be laughable in any other movie becomes anything but .

. an unwavering dedication to show us the power of family and unconditional acceptance allows the story to slowly unfold, every moment wrought with tenderness and humor and sadness and joy and love .. this is a near, if not totally, perfect movie and nothing like you've ever seen before or could possibly expect .

. for me, this was Ryan Gosling's coming of age, with no overly dramatic acting or sappiness, a unique performance that showed his natural ability for subtlety and range, and of course, his captivating screen presence, where with a tiny smile or furrowed brow can somehow express a deep sense of conflicting emotion .

. but it would be unfair to say that he's the only good part, because everyone does a great job contributing to this story, especially Emily Mortimer .. to tell you anything more about the plot would be a disservice, watch this film without knowing a thing about it and you'll be surprised at how quickly you're swept up in it's sweet charms .

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