Lars and the Real Girl

Mental disorders, loneliness, and abandonment issues aren’t the kind of themes that you usually find in a comedy, but they make up the bulk of the story in a delightful quirky film, “Lars and the Real Girl.” Written by Nancy Oliver of “Six Feet Under” fame it has the strange, off-kilter comedy that you would expect from a HBO scribe but also the touching warmth of a good melodrama.

What makes “Lars and the Real Girl” work so well is that nothing that happens is expected, or seemingly plausible, but it all seems real. Does that make sense? If it does, then you’re going to really love this film. Oliver creates a world that seems overly cold and sheltered in a small town in the Pacific Northwest. Her lead characters seem disturbed and the movie seems headed in a very dark direction. Then, a package arrives, and you start laughing and can’t believe what;s happening on screen. It’s that much fun.

Director Craig Gillespie does a wonderful job creating the look and feel of this small town and makes smart choices in how to photograph this film. It starts off quite dark and “contrasty” but lightens up and becomes far more colorful by film’s end. It’s a great interpretation of the script.

But when all is said and done with this film, you stay connected because of the acting. Ryan Gosling is absolutely spot-on with his portrayal of lonely, and slightly disturbed, Lars. Kelli Garner is refreshing as his would-be suitor, and Emily Mortimer and Paul Schneider are perfect as Lars’ somewhat confused, but loving, family. While it is easy to praise Gosling for his outstanding performance, much kudos has to go to Gillespie and the supporting cast for “believing” Gosling’s character. This film wouldn’t have worked if the rest of the supporting characters didn’t believe in Lar’s crazy journey. What makes this film so wonderful to watch is that no matter what unbelievable thing happens, it seems the perfect action for the people in this film. That is a testament to the great writing, directing and acting.

If I have a complaint it’s that the pacing of the film is a bit slow. It’s not that the film is too long (it only runs about one hour and 45 minutes) but some of the scenes seem to drag. With dark comedy sometimes a bit too much slows the plot down. I also felt the beginning of the film was a bit confusing and took too long to get going. Stay with the film through the first 20 minutes and you’ll be glad you did.

Rating: 1/2

Film’s website: http://www.larsandtherealgirl-themovie.com