This is a unique little movie that deserves to be seen.
This is a very enjoyable little picture that most people have probably never heard of. Star Ryan Gosling is best remembered for his small part in "Saving Private Ryan," but the young actor drives the film and gives a very good performance as the affable, but aloof Lars. This is a movie that will probably be ignored by most consumers looking to buy a new movie and it is somewhat disappointing when I realize that an Uwe Boll movie will easily outsell this small little gem. While I would lump "Lars and the Real Girl" into the romantic comedy category, it is a dark comedy about an unfortunate soul that finds himself through a love affair with an anatomically correct doll. There aren´t enough original films produced today and "Lars and the Real Girl" is original and it is entertaining.
Video:
"Lars and the Real Girl" is presented by MGM in an anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen transfer. It is a low budget affair that has a grainy and film-like quality that cannot hide its cost. However, the natural and unprocessed look of the film only makes the film feel more sincere. The level of detail is adequate and aside from a thin layer of film grain present throughout the picture, the picture quality is pleasing. The film´s palette is ever-so-slightly muted and lends to the low-budget charisma of the picture. Many films today suffer from too much digital processing and while they do have a lot of ´pop,´ it is comforting to sit down with a smaller film such as "Lars and the Real Girl" and enjoy its simplicity. This transfer is just that, simple, but comforting. The transfer is clean and the source materials lack any dirt of flaws from either the print used or the digital processes used to bring the title to DVD.
Audio:
English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround and Spanish 2.1 Dolby Digital Surround are the two languages provided for "Lars and the Real Girl." Subtitles are included for both languages as well. The low-budget underpinnings of "Lars and the Real Girl" are apparent with the basic soundtrack and the film´s sound design is very limited. This is typical of both romantic comedies and independent pictures and doesn´t come as a surprise when viewing "Lars and the Real Girl." The soundtrack is clean and doesn´t have any noticeable flaws in the audio presentation. Rear surrounds and the low frequency effects channel are all silent through much of the film. There is some minor bleed into the rear channels for the David Torn musical score, but this is limited. Thankfully, dialogue is perfect during the entire film and I never once found myself having problems hearing the spoken word.
Extras:
A handful of bonus materials are included with "Lars and the Real Girl." The Deleted Scenes – Bathtub (:42) was removed due to its darker tone, but the short scene that would have moved the film along a little faster and its inclusion on the DVD is accompanied by a title card that gives Craig Gillespie´s reason to put it onto the cutting room floor. The short promotional reel The Real Story of Lars and the Real Girl (10:10) is your typical EPK segment, but it details the actual Real Girls website and the inspiration for the film and the film´s director, producer, writer and stars all share a few moments with the camera. A Leading Lady (5:56) is a short look at the dolls that were used to deliver the performance of Bianca. It felt a little ´cheesy,´ but it was interesting. Finally, the film´s Theatrical Trailer and a few trailers from other MGM releases are included.
Closing:
"Lars and the Real Girl" is a film I probably would not have batted an eye towards at the local Best Buy or even the Blockbuster. I know who Ryan Gosling is, but his name isn´t one that drives my consumer decisions. Had the film not arrived as a review screener, I would have missed out on an engaging experience. This is a very good and original film that features nice performances, a witty and well-crafted story and solid direction. Marketing is always a problem with these original small pictures and "Lars and the Real Girl" will never find a large audience on home video, but I have a feeling that the vast majority of those that do experience "Lars and the Real Girl" will find a rewarding experience. The DVD doesn´t pack explosive audio and video. The supplements run for about a quarter of an hour and nothing particularly special is contained within them, but the film itself is worth the cost of admission. This is a unique little movie that deserves to be seen.
Video:
"Lars and the Real Girl" is presented by MGM in an anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen transfer. It is a low budget affair that has a grainy and film-like quality that cannot hide its cost. However, the natural and unprocessed look of the film only makes the film feel more sincere. The level of detail is adequate and aside from a thin layer of film grain present throughout the picture, the picture quality is pleasing. The film´s palette is ever-so-slightly muted and lends to the low-budget charisma of the picture. Many films today suffer from too much digital processing and while they do have a lot of ´pop,´ it is comforting to sit down with a smaller film such as "Lars and the Real Girl" and enjoy its simplicity. This transfer is just that, simple, but comforting. The transfer is clean and the source materials lack any dirt of flaws from either the print used or the digital processes used to bring the title to DVD.
Audio:
English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround and Spanish 2.1 Dolby Digital Surround are the two languages provided for "Lars and the Real Girl." Subtitles are included for both languages as well. The low-budget underpinnings of "Lars and the Real Girl" are apparent with the basic soundtrack and the film´s sound design is very limited. This is typical of both romantic comedies and independent pictures and doesn´t come as a surprise when viewing "Lars and the Real Girl." The soundtrack is clean and doesn´t have any noticeable flaws in the audio presentation. Rear surrounds and the low frequency effects channel are all silent through much of the film. There is some minor bleed into the rear channels for the David Torn musical score, but this is limited. Thankfully, dialogue is perfect during the entire film and I never once found myself having problems hearing the spoken word.
Extras:
A handful of bonus materials are included with "Lars and the Real Girl." The Deleted Scenes – Bathtub (:42) was removed due to its darker tone, but the short scene that would have moved the film along a little faster and its inclusion on the DVD is accompanied by a title card that gives Craig Gillespie´s reason to put it onto the cutting room floor. The short promotional reel The Real Story of Lars and the Real Girl (10:10) is your typical EPK segment, but it details the actual Real Girls website and the inspiration for the film and the film´s director, producer, writer and stars all share a few moments with the camera. A Leading Lady (5:56) is a short look at the dolls that were used to deliver the performance of Bianca. It felt a little ´cheesy,´ but it was interesting. Finally, the film´s Theatrical Trailer and a few trailers from other MGM releases are included.
Closing:
"Lars and the Real Girl" is a film I probably would not have batted an eye towards at the local Best Buy or even the Blockbuster. I know who Ryan Gosling is, but his name isn´t one that drives my consumer decisions. Had the film not arrived as a review screener, I would have missed out on an engaging experience. This is a very good and original film that features nice performances, a witty and well-crafted story and solid direction. Marketing is always a problem with these original small pictures and "Lars and the Real Girl" will never find a large audience on home video, but I have a feeling that the vast majority of those that do experience "Lars and the Real Girl" will find a rewarding experience. The DVD doesn´t pack explosive audio and video. The supplements run for about a quarter of an hour and nothing particularly special is contained within them, but the film itself is worth the cost of admission. This is a unique little movie that deserves to be seen.
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