``Lars and the Real Girl'' The kindness of ``not curing.'' A “happy lie” that gives you a place to belong

Ryan Gosling's innocence makes a fairy tale come true

Of course, it's not just the script that's been praised. Nominated for the 65th Golden Globe Award for Best Actor (Movie or Drama) for his role in "Lars and the Real Girl," Ryan Gosling's performance is innocent, yet melancholic, and exquisite. His presence removes all the toxicity from the subject of "love dolls," which could easily have a sexual smell if not handled properly. The fact that the story seems to be pure and untainted pure love is probably due to the "affection" that Gosling embodies.

Gosling is now a popular actor, but at this time he was still in the midst of his breakthrough. He made his debut at the age of 12, garnering attention with " The Notebook " (2004), and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for " Half Nelson " (2006). After this film, he seemed to steadily step up with " Blue Valentine " (2010), " The Secret Life of a Woman " (2010), and " Drive " (2011). In this film, you can enjoy his cute and charming acting (which seems fresh when you watch it now), before he built up his image as a "silent and cool" man.

“Drive” trailer

However, what is unique about "Lars and the Real Girl" is that although Lars is the main character, he is not the "main" emotional axis. Lars turns his face away from the audience at the beginning, and the reason why he fell in love with the love doll is not revealed, so the audience empathizes with the "reactions" of the people around him as they read the story. In the second half, Lars' "emotions" become richer and begin to match the audience's values ​​- a unique structure.

In other words, in this film, the protagonist starts out as "unable to empathize" and "unable to understand," but as the story progresses, she slides into "able to empathize" and "understand." What's important here is the supporting cast. They pull the story forward as the "shadow protagonists," which makes the "role swap" with Gosling in the second half of the film more effective.

Lars' loving sister-in-law Karin, who is always concerned about him, is played by Emily Mortimer, whose excellent performance in " The Bookshop " (2017) is still fresh in our memory. Dagmar, the doctor who treats both Bianca and Lars, is played by Patricia Clarkson, who has shown intelligent acting in many films including " Far Away " (2002) and " Shutter Island " (2010). Margo, Lars's coworker who has feelings for him, is played by Kelli Garner, who appeared in " The Aviator " (2004) and " Thumbsucker " (2005). The three female characters orbit around Lars like satellites, driving the story and telling his inner thoughts.

"My Bookshop" Trailer

While the women are in a position to show "understanding" that goes beyond common sense, Paul Schneider, who plays Lars' older brother Gus, is the one who takes on the role of "rejection" based on common sense. His performances of "holding his head" and "being confused," which he has shown in " The Assassination of Jesse James " (2007) and " Café Society " (2016), function as "speaking for the audience." He is extremely effective as an "anchor" that keeps the story from becoming too outlandish.

Shooting where she was treated as an “actress” rather than a doll