Lars scores on talent

We all have a need to feel wanted and loved. We all need something or someone to share ourselves with, whether it be a friend, a lover, a pet or a life-size doll. In Lars and the Real Girl, Lars Lindstrom (played by Ryan Gosling) is a troubled, lonely man in search of a friend. Lars lives in the garage of his brother and sister-in-law; he exhibits very strange behavior in social situations and begins to worry the people who care for him most.

Gus Lindstrom, who is Lars's brother and is played by Paul Schneider, and his wife Karin (Emily Mortimer) are excited when Lars informs them of his new Brazilian girlfriend, Bianca. However, things are not quite as they seem as we soon find out when Lars shows up at his brother's house with a large, plastic doll (Bianca) and claims she is his girlfriend. Nobody is quite sure why Lars is convinced that this doll is a real girl. The film explores the psyche of Lars Lindstrom to uncover his past secrets and pain to find out exactly why Bianca has suddenly become such an important part of Lars's life.

Although at the start of the film, the idea of Lars and his "girlfriend" is not acceptable to the residents of his town, in the end his situation gives them a sense of family and community like they have never experienced.

Lars and the Real Girl will leave you with a better sense of what love should be. It will leave you wondering about the true meaning of relationships and will provide you with a greater appreciation for your own.

This whole heightened appreciation is provided to you thanks to Ryan Gosling. I was not expecting Gosling to give such a phenomenal performance as Lars, but he made the character believable in a way only he could have done.

Gosling's talent is evident and is the driving force behind the film, but he is not the only one deserving credit. Emily Mortimer, Paul Schneider, Patricia Clarkson (Dagmar) and Kelli Garner (Margo) all give wonderful performances and do a stunning job in the shaping of Lars's character.

Craig Gillespie directed the film and was unfortunate enough to begin his big-screen career with Mr. Woodcock. I haven't seen Mr. Woodcock, so I'm unsure as to how bad it actually is, but hopefully Lars and the Real Girl makes up for the fact that he directed it.

Gillespie did an excellent job with the direction of his newest film. He put all the right shots in all the right places and helped either to intensify or lighten the mood with his camera angles. He did a good job coordinating with the writer, Nancy Oliver, when putting together the different shots. The film was well written, although at times it did seem to drag a bit. There is not much action or excitement, but the writing and the characters keep you fixated throughout the movie. The story is filled with heart: heartwarming (story), heartfelt (characters) and hearty (laughs).

There is much more to the movie than the previews let on. The story may be a simple one, but the message behind the story is one that should not be forgotten. But I am not just going to tell you what the message is...you're going to have to find out for yourself when you see the movie.

Whether you were a fan of Gosling in The Notebook or Half Nelson, his performance in Lars and the Real Girl will not be a disappointment. It is a modern-day Pinocchio in some ways: just a lonely man wishing that his puppet were as real as his love for it. But although Bianca's nose did not grow in Lars and the Real Girl, your love for Ryan Gosling will when you go to see it.