The Seclusion of Self

Lars and the Real Girl is a charming, offbeat film made especially enjoyable by the astounding performance of "Lars" himself- Ryan Gosling. I believe he won an Independent Spirit Award this year for this role, and it was well deserved. An Oscar nom would have been nice, I think. He is one of the most promising and talented actors out there right now.

It tells the story of a man (Lars) who is not quite altogether there. He seems to get by in his daily life - working at some kind of office job, going to church, living in a garage on the family property - but something just ain't jellin'. He is a painfully shy loner, not even wanting to spend an evening with his brother and sister-in-law (who own the house because the parents are dead)... he keeps finding ways to avoid personal attachments, removing himself from social situations and shunning attention.

One day, his co-worker shows him ads on the internet for life size dolls - sex dolls in all actuality. Lars next shows up at his brother's door, saying he has a visitor.
Bianca.

She is a lovely, long dark-haired, well built, sexy lady whom he says he has met over the internet. She is apparently a missionary of some kind, had nursing training, is from Brazil (but has Danish blood in her as well!), and is sadly, in a wheelchair.
She is also.... a sex doll. An anatomically correct sex doll.
His brother and sister-in-law are dumbfounded, shocked and saddened. The look on their faces when Lars is telling them about his new girlfriend is priceless.

It's obvious Lars has a problem. What to do?

Go to the family doctor/psychologist in town (played brilliantly by Patricia Clarkson) and ask her advice. She tells them Lars is clearly going through some kind of delusion and the best thing to do is to go along with it until the delusion's significance shows itself. More than likely he has 'created' Bianca to fill a gap or serve a purpose in his life.

These could not be truer words, and the journey to the truth is both poignant and funny as hell at the same time. The whole town gets behind the ruse, inviting Bianca to parties and to volunteer at the hospital and be on the school board, among other things.
It is a very affecting movie that I would recommend highly - and if you watch it and don't "get it" - I think you may need some therapy yourself.

I can totally get behind this movie and say watch it if you get the chance. The acting by all is top-notch and the story is notably creative and original.

And as for the "sex" in sex doll... not gonna happen. Bianca is very religious and virtuous. Sorry.