Man forges relationship with life size doll. On paper, that sounds like the worst idea in the history of bad ideas. As a film though, Lars and the Real Girl is one of the most unexpected gems of the holiday season. A quirky, thoughtful, endearing tale of love and family as told through the eyes of Lars, a socially withdrawn man who brings home his new girlfriend to meet the family. The new twinkle in his eye? An inanimate object named Bianca. When Lars first introduces the doll to his brother Gus (Paul Schneider) and his bewildered wife Karin (Emily Mortimer), they are just as shocked as we the audience. They don't know how to respond to Lars'apparent state of dementia. Soon, through the aid of local psychiatrist Dr. Dagmar (wonderfully played by Patricia Clarkson) Gus, Karin, and all those who reside in this tight knit town, realize that they just have to go along with Lars' behavior until the troubled man can work through his psychological problems on his own.

It seems that through this doll, the usually introverted Lars is able to communicate with those around him, and until he can learn to communicate on his own, Bianca will continue to remain in the picture. Lars and the Real Girl was observantly written by Six Feet Under scribe Nancy Oliver and directed with surprising subtlety by Craig Gillespie (Mr. Woodcock), What's really special about this film is the genuine love and affection on display throughout. The reason the townsfolk accept Bianca is because of their love for Lars. They care about him. They want to see him get better and they'll do whatever it takes to make that happen. At the heart of the movie is a wonderfully restrained turn by the gifted Ryan Gosling (even if his Lars does slightly resemble the nutty David Arquette). His disarming and sincere portrayal keep the film from becoming silly. In fact, each and every actor in this picture commits 100%. Emily Mortimer and Paul Schneider are sensational as Lars' family. This is an offbeat film, but the emotion and drama at the heart of it couldn't be any more real. Lars and the Real Girl is an absolute gem. It's everything that dorky 80's movie Mannequin should have been. Ryan Gosling is the most exciting actor of his generation, and I can't wait to see what he does next.