Lars and the Real Girl

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Peter A This is all about Lars and the community who support his delusion, for the love of Lars. All of the characters were real, which made Bianca real. Wonderful acting and direction. The choice of 'odd bod' Ryan Gosling for the part of Lars was inspirational. This was strange, but so is life. Loved it. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/21/25 Full Review maureen b One of my all-time favorite films. It's perfection. Don't touch it. Don't breathe too hard on it. It's Magic. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/04/25 Full Review Audience Member This movie is ironic because it is both sad and hilarious. I'm not sure if it leans more towards comedy or drama, but it is unique and strange—simultaneously unbelievable yet very realistic. I can’t pinpoint what makes it unique, but that irony makes it a great film. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 04/03/25 Full Review Ian H Lovely film. Great cast. Great sentiment. Sweet and funny Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/12/25 Full Review My House P This movie sets a dangerous precedent. Spoiler alert. This movie has a good deal of classic fable elements and is not without charm. It's very well acted. Had Lars began his relationship life with a stuffed animal, a dog, or even a cardboard cutout of a woman, it would have been a much better movie. But the fact that the object of his affection as a silicone anatomically correct sex doll renders this movie dangerous. Everyone gets on board with Lars without knowing anything about him. Is he an innocent? Or is he having sex with the doll? We know that he hasn't come into his sexual side because we're privy to his relationship with the doll, but others don't. His relationship could be highly perverse and no one in the community would have known. Yet, they all rally around and accept his odd relationship. Somehow, hospital triage goes along with it, rushing the "dying" (dying because she's being replaced in Lars' mind with a real girl) doll in on a gurney with an oxygen mask on. She's then installed in a private hospital room to keep her alive. When she dies, there's an actual church service and a burial in the cemetery. It's the sex doll part of the equation that is so dangerous in the context of modern socio-politics. Firstly, that the entire community swallows lock, stock, and barrel their acceptance of Lars' bringing the doll to church, to do volunteer work, to the hairdressers, to parties, reflects our current climate to accept everything (pretend to accept everything for fear of consequences) that anyone declares or identifies with these days. Secondly, there's the fact that the movie sanctions socially anxious people replacing a girl with an inflatable date instead of trying to work through his challenges with humans. As I said earlier, it would have been a much better movie if Lars' becoming relational was with a dog or a stuffed animal. I can see it coming...parents, teachers, clergy, and friends now having to accept men being "in relationship" with sex dolls and having to go along with it. Another curious component of this plot is the office that seems to mostly be staffed by people with severe social awkwardness. Although to be a good human we need to respect others' limitations and give them help in life, imagine the staff of this office going on to have children when they can't work without action figures and stuffed animals at their workplace. I am a person with social anxiety, a "weirdo", who struggled all my life with my neurodivergent brain. I achieved fame and great success in my profession, but it took enormous effort. I would have hated for people to pander to my neurodivergence. I would have surely not have been so successful. I'm glad I needed to step up and figure out how to be with people. I tried several relationships. I don't get it. I live alone with my dog who is how I pour all the love in my heart onto another. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/09/25 Full Review NASHVILLE I Truly one of the best, most wonderful films in the last 50 years, let alone one of the best indies! This is why Gosling's one of the best. Man does he ever nail the internally tortured soul while still bringing out the beauty in his character, WITHOUT depressing the audience. The reason this movie's so good is that it manages to showcase adult loneliness and other difficult themese without ever depressing you. Instead, you feel a warmth and closeness. There's an unexpected sense of hope you feel throughout that isn't forced, that isn't disgustingly sentimental like other films put out. Give Lars a watch and you'll be thrilled you did. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/05/25 Full Review Read all reviews

Lars and the Real Girl

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