Comments on: Lars and the Real Girl

By: Beth

Beth — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 20:02:05 +0000

The New Ethan Hawke? Surely that’s a title more fitting for someone a bit more simpering such as McAvoy, no?

Without wanting to go overboard on the Gosling love, there seems a bit more to the guy- perhaps a less nerdy Toby Maguire, or does that just = Leonardo DiCaprio?….either way, not the most heinous of mental conundrums….

By: sally

sally — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 21:07:50 +0000

I caught this on the weekend and loved it. Is Ryan the new Ethan Hawke? Not sure about that, but he’s seriously talented. It’s weird that you can see the tattoos on his arms through his sleeves in this movie though - I thought they would’ve made more of an effort to cover that up (unless I was imaging it?).. . . . .

By: Graham

Graham — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 09:41:47 +0000

Is Ryan Gosling the new Ethan Hawke?

By: joe

joe — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 19:55:53 +0000

5 Stars all the way. Ryan Gosling hasn’t put in a bad performance yet.

By: Jonny Boy

Jonny Boy — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 09:21:11 +0000

Lars’ romance with Bianca is very real, as are his uncertain feelings for Margo, and the affection between his brother and his wife. There’s romance throughout the film and as much as this is certainly a film about mental illness and people’s reaction to it, I think the film is also about romantic awakening.

You’re spot on with the Malick reference though, something I’d not previously considered but rings true on consideration.

By: Berchtold

Berchtold — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 11:44:02 +0000

“The whole town embraces ‘Bianca’ and treats her like a real person”- This is too sweeping a comment. In reality there’s widespread disillusion and suspicion from the outset, and it’s only once people have made the link between Lars mental illness and his innocence in wanting the doll that it becomes accepted. Ryan Gosling is amazing in his portrayal of Lars, both endearing and eerily distant.

I also disagree about this being a romantic comedy. It’s a film about mental illness and how its received, tolerated and treated in a small, semi-religious community. The photography is consistently beautiful and there’s a real clarity in Lars connection to his surroundings, almost Terrence Malick-like in revealing an underlying poetry.

This is a great film. Funny, beautiful and thought provoking.

By: Charlie

Charlie — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 17:52:55 +0000

I saw the trailer to this film the other day and i’m thinking - if my brother or friend or whatever came home with an inflatable doll who he thought was alive and was his girlfriend, i’d probably take steps to have him committed. Seriously. Yet they all seemed to accept it in the trailer, which is weird.

Looks pretty cool though - might check it out.