DVD Reviews
DVD Review: Lars and the Real Girl
By Jeff Swindoll
Apr 18, 2008, 12:45 GMT

Ryan Gosling delivers another fine performance, but the same cannot be said for his costar.  In fact, she seems rather plastic and emotionless.  Well, it’s not really her fault since she was ordered over the internet.  

Lars (Ryan Gosling) is a shy man who lives in the garage apartment behind his brother Gus’ (Paul Schneider) house.  Gus’ wife Karin (Emily Mortimer) is always trying to involve Lars, inviting him to meals, but he always shyly refuses (in fact, the couple has a running $5 bet as to whether Lars will attend). 

One evening he approaches them and says that he’s going to be coming to dinner and bringing his new girlfriend.  She’s a wheelchair bound missionary named Bianca. 

However, when Lars arrives Gus and Karin find out that she’s really a life-size, anatomically correct sex doll that Lars has bought off the internet.  They’re both shocked but play along during dinner.

The next day they contact Dr. Dagmar (Patricia Clarkson) and under the guise of bringing in Bianca for a checkup really want her to look over Lars.  Dr. Dagmar decides that Lars is using Bianca because he cannot connect with real women so he’s using the silent Bianca. 

Dr. Dagmar wants him to keep using that crutch until she can help Lars cope, so she encourages the befuddled Gus and the accepting Karin to play along that Bianca is a real girl.  In fact, the entire group of Lars’ coworkers and friends does as well and soon the entire town is pretending that Bianca is a real girl. 

However, things make a change when Lars starts to notice Margo (Kelli Garner), his coworker, and that maybe she can offer something that Bianca can’t, but how will he break the news to the angelic Bianca?  

In some ways the trailers ruins the surprise of Lars and the Real Girl because they put the scene with Gus and Karin’s dinner date to meet Bianca in it.  I guffawed at it when I saw the trailer and I couldn’t help but do it again when seeing the movie. 

If it didn’t involve a sex doll the film might almost seem like some strange version of It’s a Wonderful Life since the whole town rallies around Lars in accepting Bianca and acting as if she was real. 

There are some similarly hilarious antics about it since they have her “read” to some children at the hospital and another one where she’s going out with another gal and the gal tells Lars he can’t come because he’s too possessive and Bianca is a person of her own. 

The rating is pushed to the PG-13 range because of the real nature of Bianca’s use I would suppose, but I found this film a charming character study and how a group of people come together to support their friend. 

Ryan Gosling excels in the role and everyone is great.  I especially liked Nancy Beatty as the spirited Mrs. Gruner and Paul Schneider and Emily Mortimer are also great as Lars’ shocked relations.  A wonderful little film and don’t let the sex doll angle scare you away.

Lars and the Real Girl is presented in anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1) and is enhanced for 16x9 televisions. 

Special features include a 43 second deleted scene with a text introduction by the director.  The 10 minute “The Story of Lars and the Real Girl” is a standard making of featurette.  The 6 minute “A Real Leading Lady” has the actors acting like Bianca is a real girl.  Finally you have the 2 minute theatrical trailer and trailers for other Fox DVDs.  

Ryan Gosling scores and delivers another Oscar caliber performance.  The subject might be a little touchy but the results are ultimately touching and may give you a little more faith in your fellow plastic human representation.

Lars and the Real Girl is now available at Amazon. As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.