Tonight, D and I went to a screening as part of the Woodstock Film Festival. I'd seen trailers for Lars And The Real Girl and it seemed to be exactly the kind of "offbeat, upbeat" movie that might be really fun and interesting to watch. When I found out it was part of the WFF program, we immediately snatched up a pair of tickets to go see it.
Ryan Gosling seriously deserves an Oscar for his work in this film. Almost all of his scenes are played against a completely non-responsive Real Doll (CAUTION! Link Not Safe For Work!) whom he has fallen in love with. He manages to convey these emotions like he and "Bianca" are really sharing special moments, even though he gets no help from the anatomically correct lump of silicone.
D was pleasantly surprised, as she was expecting something more cynical, when instead it was a really heartfelt story, set on a backdrop of pure lunacy.
This definitely will not achieve record numbers at the box office, but I predict a cult following for it on DVD, a la Rushmore or movies of that ilk. If it comes to an arthouse cinema near you, I highly recommend checking it out!
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