After seeing the promos for Lars and the Real Girl more than once, I figured I'd check it out. I didn't have high expectations as the promos didn't give a clear indication of the type of movie it was.
Lars is a small town boy who hasn't grown up. He lives in the garage of his family home and his brother and sister in law are his only family. The small town life is one where everyone knows everyone else and there is a strong sense of community. Lars hears about a sex doll that is life like and thinks it would make a good companion. He orders it and takes it everywhere introducing 'Bianca' as his friend from South America. The delusion obviously ruffles quite a lot of feather in the small town but instead of castigating him, the people of the town try to work with him and accept Bianca as one of their own. She is offered a part time job as a mannequin in a department store and is volunteering at the hospital. While this sounds impossible in the retelling, the story and acting make it very believable. This is a personal movie about true community and compassion. The respect and concern people have for each other is palpable. It reminded me of another great movie about community, Big Eden. The depth of peoples compassion brought tears to my eyes more than once. As Lars and the towns people work through their relationship with Bianca, we are given the gift of seeing a man transformed from a traumatized young boy to a man embarking on a new life. I really enjoyed this movie. If you like personal films that are heartfelt, you'll enjoy this film.
