The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Lars, is a young man living in a tiny town somewhere in America. He is either autistic, schizoid or just plain introverted but either ways he is "different". Played astonishingly well by Ryan Gosling one day he receives a doll with whom he falls in love with. Such is his devotion that he even takes her to meet the town folks and have tea with her. This is a great, obscure film featuring a tour de force performance by Gosling. Check it out and you'll be mildly surprised.

Lars And The Real GirlThere have been quite a few features like such, that pitched similar concept to it and has touched viewer's heart through their non-human but equally up beating characters and this is one of them. The writing is gripping if not smart, keeping the audience engaged through its pragmatic characters that is fueled by the emotions running among them on screen and the makers being aware of it pampers the audience throughout the course of it. It is short on technical terms like sound department but is immensely pleasing on the way it is shot; the camera work is stunning, and so is costume design. Nancy Oliver's emotionally driven script is not only supported but celebrated by Craig Gillespie; the director, whose brilliant execution skills up the ante of the game. Ryan Gosling is the real game changer of the feature as it pulsates his skills on a much larger scale and flaunts it shamelessly and sweeps away most of the charm where he is supported decently by a hungry cast (Emily Mortimer and Paul Schneider) whose work is appreciative in here. Lars And The Real Girl is an authentic and heartbreaking relationship of humans surviving in a society where the softer and sweeter aspects of it is explored and encouraged in here.

'Lars and the Real Girl' is a beautifully unique story of acceptance and mental illness. Going into this film, I knew it was going to be quirky and odd, but I never expected it to be so beautiful and funny. Ryan Gosling plays the broken character of Lars exquisitely and it is definitely one of his best-acted roles. Additionally, Emily Mortimer's kind face and strong performance is also a perfect choice for the film and contributes to the purity of the film. Hilariously and harmfully written by Nancy Oliver, this film well-deserves it's Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay, as well as Gosling's Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor. The plot of this film is original and simple, with an unpredictable ending that warms up your heart. The true brilliance of the film is that it teaches an important lesson of kindness and tolerance and does so without preaching to the audience. The only criticism I have with the movie is that it's gentle simplicity can feel a little bit dry with a running time that is just a bit too long. Had ten minutes of the film been chopped off, it would have been perfect. Some scenes are not necessary and can drag on. Thankfully, this is not the the detriment of the film and it remains to be a heart-warming and unique narrative with great acting on by Ryan Gosling, Emily Mortimer and Patricia Clarkson.

This will be one of those movies i will always think of on a daily bases. This movie opened my eyes and learned about a new mental illness that was about depression and anxiety. This movie shows that there are so many different forms of mental illnesses. A heart warming movie about acceptance and growing and over coming.