LARS AND THE REAL GIRL 

A second viewing of Lars and the Real Girl not only allowed me to appraise its copious virtues but it also granted me the opportunity to consider the critical reaction for the first time with the film still fresh in my mind (as noted earlier, my initial viewing took place at TIFF 07). I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it was generally received quite well. However, a few cynical comments/reactions (quite astonishing for such a sweet-natured movie) did caught my eye, stemming mostly from those who seem to have misread the film to some degree. While the relatively mild review by Manohla Dargis, a critic I highly admire, cant be qualified in that category, she hinted towards a couple of concerns that are worthy of a response. First, there appears to be a misconception out there that the film takes place in some backward Podunk town. The setting is a small town for sure, somewhere in the Midwest perhaps, but it is of the kind that exists near most small-to-midsize cities, though not close enough to be officially deemed a suburb. Moreover, besides our Brazilian-Danish protagonist, the film also introduced us to a number of individuals from diverse race and ethnic backgrounds that were already part of the community, thus allowing us to make our own logical conclusions. Secondly, which relates to the earlier point, the notion that theres some sort of innate evil festering in such places, with the root cause being the people whore leading these hypocritical middle-class lives, is just plain silly. It is one that has only been advanced in recent years by the work of Lynch and von Trier and others. The truth is more complex, of course. Simply put, therere good and bad people everywhere, and one could obviously go on to break it down much further than that. But if those filmmakers chose to present one extreme for personal, political, artistic purposes, then someone else has just as much a right to display the other side, if you will, especially when its done with such Capra-esque humanity. And the filmmakers didnt merely wallow in the goodness of it all, or tried to shove it down everyones throats; the proceeding primarily unfolded in a matter-of-fact way, eschewing comedic opportunities that perhaps couldve diverted into being farcical. Could this material be utilized to make a very different kind of film? Probably yes, but Lars is fine the way it is.

Gosling was indeed wonderful. While the film held on to its convictions about the character, he subtly allowed us a few glimpses behind his demeanor. He has previously given some wonderful performances in mediocre films, so it was good to see him in an effort which is worthy of his talents. Among the supporting cast, Emily Mortimer was charming as always. Some may remember Paul Schneider from the two David Gordon Green films: George Washington (2000) and All the Real Girls (2003) (he could also be seen in this years The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford). I wasnt sure about Patricia Heaton after the first viewing, but hers was a resolutely low-key performance. Perhaps the final two sequences couldve been more moderately staged (the earlier what would Jesus do? which cuts to the congregation was sufficient), but for a film which accomplishes such a balancing act when it comes to tone and clarity, I forgive.

Grade: B+