Lars and the Real Girl (2007)

Ryan Gosling is amazing! Here is a rare gem. It requires suspension of belief to complete the story arc -- but it's a tale told with great subtlety and emotion. Ryan plays Lars, a loner who lives in the garage beside the family home which his married brother and expectant wife occupy after the passing of the sons' parents. Lars will do almost anything to avoid social contact with his sister-in-law and everyone else in this this small river town (feels like Ohio). I caught a clue and figured out his problem early on but the magic of the movie is how artfully his illness is identified and how sensitively the townsfolk treat him. Lars and the Real Girl is The Shipping News meets Angel Eyes. This movie will really open your eyes to how loving and listening to someone is the key to unlocking their mental illness. Patricia Clarkson as the family doctor is a gem as she does just that -- allowing Lars to heal himself, as it were. The theater was full of laughter throughout the movie but of varying kinds -- nervous or unrestrained -- as appropriate. Don't miss this movie! Ryan should get another Oscar nomination for his role as Lars. 5 stars.