Review of Lars and the Real Girl (2007) by Filipeneto — 09 May 2021

I confess that I don't really know what to think about this film. I recognize the originality of the theme, but if the idea was to do comedy, it failed me. Furthermore, I also got the feeling that the film enters too often in a kind of "twilight zone" where everyone, more or less consciously and deliberately, plays the fool - even the priest!

The film's script focuses on Lars, an incredibly shy man, who is not even able to maintain a normal relationship with his own family and isolates himself as much as possible. Suddenly, he decides to introduce a new girlfriend to everyone, but she is simply a very realistic plastic erotic doll. From here, and to my surprise, everyone decides to cooperate with this man's delusion and treat the doll as if he were a real person.

For me, the film didn't work. I am not able to give the script any credibility and the story told is simply too far-fetched and improbable for me to swallow it. If the idea was to make a satire, I did not understand what was at stake. If the idea was to do comedy, it wasn't funny at all. Personally, I found it even a little offensive, as the film tries to make you laugh at the expense of a man who is so shy that he urgently needs therapy or psychological counseling. And, now that I mention it, I also don't understand all the pressure from society to push an individual into dating or marriage. Sometimes you are happier as a single person.

Although I did not like this film, and raised serious questions about the script, I recognize the value and commitment of its cast, particularly Ryan Gosling. The actor is superb, and he works in depth, in an extremely rich character and with a very interesting psychology, which the actor knew how to explore and develop wonderfully. Ultimately, Gosling's excellent performance not only greatly redeems the film but ends up being the real reason to see it! The film also features Paul Schneider, Kelli Garner and Emily Mortimer in the supporting roles, but it's Gosling that shines.

Technically, the film seems to be quite neutral, within the regular standards of the industry: cinematography and sets do not bring anything original but fulfill their role quite well; the costumes, and particularly Gosling's, were quite good and harmonized with the environment and the theme (I especially liked the costumes used at the funeral). I don't think the film had a very big budget, but the production was able to make good use of it.