Lars Lindstrom (Ryan Gosling) is a nice guy, but he’s a bit shy and withdrawn. When he reveals he has a new girlfriend, Bianca, to his older brother, Gus (Paul Schneider), and his pregnant wife, Karin (Emily Mortimer), they’re thrilled at first. But they soon realize Bianca isn’t what they thought she’d be – she’s fake and doesn’t seem interested in anything Lars has to say. There’s a good reason for that – Bianca isn’t a real person. Lars is dating a sex doll, and both Gus and Karin have to figure out if Lars has truly lost his marbles or if he’s just really lonely.
That’s the comical setup to Lars and the Real Girl, and while some jokes are made at Lars’ expense, it’s mostly an empathetic film about a young man who doesn’t want sex so much as he wants companionship. Bianca isn’t a sex toy to Lars; instead, she’s someone to take care of and worry about, just like Gus does with Karin. The film succeeds in threading the line between being serious and whimsical, resulting in a sweet film containing one of Gosling’s best performances.
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