Rent this

I would have passed this movie by over and over until a friend told me I had to see it. I was nervous about the whole idea of an anatomicly correct doll being a wierd guy's mate, but she assured me it wasn't too weird (or nasty).

I added it my Blockbuster by Mail list.... and voila'. I got it. I was excited to watch it, but nervous with the kids around, so I shooed them out and started the show. Mike and I watched, a little bit nervous, as the story unfolded. I was surprised to find the script witty and unexpected. Lars is a 26 year old man who is on the brink of complete insanity, afraid of contact, conversation, and social situations. He is heartbreaking, and Ryan Gosling plays it flawlessly (though never as cute as Noah in The Notebook).

As the movie (subtle and simple) plays on and he opens up to his new 'girlfriend', friends and family have no choice but to play along. That is when the beauty begins. Layers of his pain begin to peel away and "Bianca" becomes a symbol for all that he has held in for so long. It is surprisingly touching and engaging (I have to admit, however Mike did fall asleep, it is kind of quiet and over 100 minutes long). Overall it really has left me thinking about people, and the lives we live, and the pain we carry. The way everyone rallied around Lars and his new girlfriend, and the doors that she opens for him, were actually sweet, strange and funny, maybe, but sweet.

If you know me well you know it doesn't take much to make me cry, and this was no exception. Lars and Bianca can not last forever.... and believe it or not I cried through the end of it all. Silly, but perfect. I love it when I see a movie and it is a completely new experience for me, full of fun and pain, and bits of everyday life that I can relate to, but delivered in a package that is beautifully scripted, acted, musicly scored and filmed. I am actually going to have to carve out some more time tomorrow to watch it again before I send it back. This is no Weekend Top Grossing movie or shoot them up thriller, but it is film making at a simple level... art.