Lars and the Inflato-Chick
Cats: movies|I have to thank the Bad Tempered Zombie for putting me onto the flick Lars and the Real Girl????????. Had it not been for her review and encouragement, I probably would have given this flick a miss.
I mean, come on. A movie about a guy who falls for an inflato chick? Like yeah, I’m going to waste my precious movie-watching time on that.
True, this is the premise, but the subject matter is handled deftly and tastefully. It uses the central character Lars and his inflato chick Bianca to explore the territory of human pain and emotional dysfunction.
Lars (Ryan Gosling) is quiet and a loner. He lives in the garage of his brother (Paul Schneider) and sister in law (Emily Mortimer) who fret over his oddness. There is this girl at work Margo ( Kelli Garner) who for some inexplicable reason seems to fancy him.
The arm-chair shrink in me saw that Lars ordered the inflato chick Bianca as a stand-in for Margo whom he secretly fancies but cannot pursue due to his intimacy issues. Lars projects his love on Bianca, treating her like gold and never taking her honour, even though Bianca is anatomically correct and designed to have her honour taken.
Their relationship blossoms and Lars introduces her to the community around him, including a GP who is also a pychologist (Patricia Clarkson). There is something wrong with Bianca, Lars feels, and the doctor provides “treatments.” While Bianca rests, Lars and the doctor talk and the issues are revealed.
We feel the discomfort of the small town coming to grips with this seemingly bizarre relationship, but we also buy into the compassion they gradually show for Lars and his inflato chick.
This is perhaps the one part of the film that didn’t quite add up for me. For some reason, I couldn’t imagine a small-town, slightly redneck, churchy American community embracing a man’s relationship with his inflato chick. But this shortcoming is forgivable as the film does give air to the doubts, expressed convincingly by Lars’ older brother.
We see Lars progress through his issues and in so doing, gradually change his relationship with Bianca. This is sweet and at times uncomfortable, particularly when we see the couple fighting.
I won’t spoil the ending other than to say “there will be tears.”
It is a touching story of love that is sensitively rendered by director Craig Gillespie. I applaud him for not taking cheap route of sleaze that you might expect in a film about a man and his inflato chick.
And you will be comfortable watching this with your 11-year old daughter, well, comfortable if you’re prepared to answer the inevitable questions from the 11-year old about why we need inflato chicks anyway.
Gulp!
June 1st, 2008 at 10:52 pm
It’s buried in my Netflix queue.
June 2nd, 2008 at 1:38 am
Nice review! I’m so glad that you enjoyed this film, as I was utterly charmed by it and am still kinda in love with Lars.
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:27 am
I definitely would have skipped on by this one….and I wouldn’t have considered letting my youngest yard ape watch it — thanks, it’s now on my list!
June 2nd, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Coaster Punchman told me to watch it a while back and I was so glad I did. Great review (as was Barbara’s). It was a different kind of Sex and The City wasn’t it?
June 2nd, 2008 at 11:41 pm
I LOVED LOVED LOVED this movie and was telling everyone who would listen to me to give it a chance. Essentially, it’s about human kindness, and how often do you see films about human kindness. A sweet, wonderful movie that didn’t get the praise it deserved.
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:44 am
Just logged on to Netflix and added it to the top of my queue. Thanks for the reminder – and a great review!
June 3rd, 2008 at 4:23 am
I really have to watch this film after two positive reviews!
June 3rd, 2008 at 6:47 am
BeckEye, I wish we had Netflix, sounds fantastic.
Barbara, Thanks so much for mentioning it; gotta love long-tail viral PR
YAM, I’ll be interested to know what you think. Drop a comment if you think of it
Dale, thnx, Sex in the small town America with an Inflato Chick. I think that has legs.
June 3rd, 2008 at 6:49 am
Jacy, that is exactly what it was about. I was unconvinced that the entire community would be so kind though, especially that jerkoid co-worker of his and some of the churchy types.
Moxie, let me know what you think
Allison, you will love it
June 3rd, 2008 at 10:26 am
I’m looking forward to seeing this one. Thanks for the review.
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:30 pm
I could not believe how great this movie was. I heart Ryan Gosling.
June 3rd, 2008 at 7:22 pm
Dr. Monkey, I think you will approve
Red, welcome to GT. Ryan gave a great performance
June 3rd, 2008 at 10:14 pm
I haven’t seen it yet, but now I might. I read a review that was on the same page as you, agreeing that the film’s only shortcoming was a town’s willingness to embrace such a creepy situation.
The same review made a good point in saying that if Ryan Gosling’s character had’ve been played by Willem Dafoe, the movie wouldn’t have been nearly as lighthearted. Can’t wait to check this out.
June 4th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
Ambera, YEs, Willem Defoe would have made the whole thing waaay more seedy and twisted.
June 5th, 2008 at 9:37 pm
The only reason I bought the whole town being nice was because it seemed a very small place and all of them knew Lars’s back story and his family, and so were particularly kind. He wasn’t a stranger or a weirdo to anyone, he was “poor Lars.”
June 11th, 2008 at 10:16 am
Jacy, I had an aunt who was always Poor Pat