Lars and the Real Girl (rewatched)

This is one of the most "Beautiful" movies I have ever seen. It is intricately woven and very carefully planned. From the very first scene, there are symbols and foreshadowing for what is going on throughout the movie. But it is subtle enough that you probably wont catch it (much of it you can't) until you are watching in for a second time. I was impressed with the acting; Ryan Gosling has a decent depth as an actor and Kelli Garner was good as well. Perhaps it is largely because I don't know any of the actors from any other project (besides Gosling), but I don't see any actor behind any of the characters.

But the technical aspects of the movie are the least of what I like. The story is what captivates me. I love this movie because of its morality. Now, I agree with those 'literatureists' who insist that the best stories were not written for a specific purpose, but instead stay true to the characters. These stories have depth and mean something different to every viewer or reader. Much of the time, this is true. The problem with a movie like "Lars and the Real Girl" is that it will sound preachy to somebody, especially if they disagree. To me, it wasn't preachy at all. It just portrayed an example of how we should treat each other. And I like that message.

The tone of the movie is pretty melancholy. Though funny at times, the comedy is cynical and dry. It doesn't avoid humor, but doesn't ever really crack a joke. The color palate is largely brown, and the setting in the bleak north (where it is more likely for something like this to be possible). I know one person who hasn't been able to stay awake for the entire movie, and others who find it hard to achieve the level of disbelief suspension the movie requires. It is not that it needs a high level of suspension, like a fantasy, but that it doesn't need a lot. The movie is set in "our world", basically, and for the most part is realistic. But there is this small level of idealism which would be difficult if not impossible to find in our world as it stands now. However, that is the point, I feel. The movie is idealistic. It proposes an alternative from what we usually see.