Review of Lars and the Real Girl (2007) by Ethan B — 12 Dec 2018
I loved Lars and the real girl and this is one of the few movies where an actor's performance has won the movie for me. Ryan Gosling is very good as the titular character. Lars and the Real Girl is an example of how even the most ridiculous premise can be used to construct a smart, touching motion picture.
The film sounds like it was developed with Adam Sandler or Will Ferrell in mind, but the key here is that, while there are laughs to be had, Lars and the Real Girl is intended to be taken seriously. This is not a rude, crude, lewd comedy.
It takes an idea that could easily be reduced to a series of sex jokes and pratfalls and develops it into something intelligent and thoughtful. But, yes, even taken seriously, it's nothing less than absurd, and the filmmakers know that.
Such recognition is a key to debut director Craig Gillespie's success because he understands how to get the audience to the place where they embrace the characters and believe their situations rather than laugh at them.
This review of Lars and the Real Girl (2007) was written by Ethan B on 12 Dec 2018.
Lars and the Real Girl has generally received very positive reviews.
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