Thoughts on Lars and the Real Girl

Warning: Beware of spoilers.

First off, I have to say, I LOVE this movie. I don’t give a shit what anyone says, Ryan Gosling is an amazing actor and he deserves a lot more credit than people give him.

This movie really surprised me. The people behind this film could have easily taken it in a super creepy and gross direction. I mean, a movie about a guy buying a sex doll? I was expecting uncomfortable and icky sex scenes, and the protagonist being a pervert.

But wow, Lars actually turned out to be a really likable and sweet guy. He treated Bianca (the sex doll) as if she were a real person with her own desires and needs. Surprisingly not a sexist film.

And it was great to see him interact with people more and to see him grow. I rooted for the guy and cheered whenever he made progress.

& it was crazy how I actually felt sad when Bianca “died.” & if I was more philosophical and/or more of an intellectual douche bag, I would have asked faux(?)-philosophical questions like, “What is a real person anyway? Do you have to be alive in the physical sense to be a person? Etc.”

For a super sexy guy, Ryan Gosling plays the bumbling shy awkward guy really well. God, I cringed whenever Lars did something to make people uncomfortable (but also sympathized with the dude. Awkward nerds unite!)

& this movie actually restored my faith in humanity somewhat (though my cynical self doubts that this movie could have happened in real life. Come on, no town could possibly be that understanding and full of kind folks). No one in the film treated Lars badly for his delusion. Instead, they grew to care for Bianca like Lars did.

TLDR: See this movie, yeah.