Lars and The Real Girl

Ryan Gosling and his mail-order girlfriend in
Lars and the Real Girl
Last night, cubtharsis and I grabbed dinner and headed for a free screening of Juno. Unfortunately, when we got to the theater, there was a long line already waiting for the movie, just as I'd seen in a lot of other LJ entries. The theater told us that the movie was full, which led to a lot of groans from the crowd.

So we elected to see Lars and the Real Girl instead. We weren't disappointed. Lars Lindstrom is a very shy, quirky man who lives in the small garage apartment next to his childhood home occupied by his brother and sister-in-law. Uncomfortable around women, he ends up ordering a life-sized sex doll after seeing his co-worker looking at them online and has a delusion that she is real, introducing her as a visiting internet interest named Bianca.

Speaking little English and being wheelchair bound, Bianca is very dependent on Lars. When his family talks to their doctor about him, the doctor tell them to go along with the delusion and treat Bianca like a real woman. With the help of their friends, the entire town goes along with them.

There are some genuinely funny moments in this movie. Ryan Gosling is incredible, playing the role of Lars to the point where if you were in the town, you'd want to help him too. I think we were both very surprised how much we liked the movie. Sadly, for the Cincinnati locals, last night was the final showing at the Esquire, but I can't imagine the DVD isn't too far away.

In addition to the movie, we also saw a preview for Juno, and I have to see that one too. It looks hysterically funny.

Did I enjoy the movie? Loved it.
Would I see it again? Definitely.
Buy the DVD? I plan on it.