Lars and the Real Girl

(2007, 106 min) Really, this film shouldn't work at all. I have built-in defenses for quirky, independent romantic comedies with unbelievable storylines and relentlessly sweet characters. My BS detector, in fact, was registering off the charts when I read the synopsis. But an expertly written screenplay by Nancy Oliver (who previously achieved a similar balance on her "Six Feet Under" scripts), well-paced direction by Craig Gillespie (who inexplicably is also responsible for Mr. Woodcock), and incredibly winning performances by the cast had me sold. I want to live in this town, in this movie, even if everyone there is batshit crazy.

Ryan Gosling plays Lars, the psychotically reclusive town misfit who, when not at his mundane desk job, lives in his brother's garage. His sister-in-law (Emily Mortimer) tries to coax him out, and the new girl in town (Kelli Garner) has a thing for him, but to no avail... Lars will have to figure things out on his own. Which he does, by purchasing a sex doll, naming her "Bianca," and parading her around town as his girlfriend.

The town psychologist (Patricia Clarkson), who is also apparently the only doctor around, tells everyone to go along with the ruse, and Lars becomes more outgoing than ever. He's a good Christian, and they sleep in separate beds, but soon Bianca becomes almost too well-liked (she's even elected to the school board). Garner is possibly the cutest thing on the face of the earth, and Gosling is the second-cutest thing, so of course we all root for Lars to come to his senses, and his personal journey is deeply satisfying and oddly believable.

Of course you're probably rolling your eyes at all this, and honestly I can't explain why it works so well. There's definitely something in the sincerity of the performances, especially the always-impressive Gosling, and the healthy skepticism of the surrounding characters helps to keep things from getting too saccharine. The enthusiasm is contagious, and the dialogue is sharp enough that you won't hate yourself afterward. If nothing else, you'll never look at a sex doll the same way again.

– David Gorgos

© TLA Entertainment Group

Superbad

(2007, 113 min) I've spent five years now trying to convince my wife that, though possessing a sometimes juvenile sense of humor, I am indeed a mature, responsible, caring, sensitive, romantic and giving guy. All that work went down the shitter when, leaving the theater, I remarked that Superbad may well be the most honest film about the mind of an adolescent male. Good thing the film came out in August, because trust me, that doghouse gets mighty cold in the winter.

In a word, "dick." Seth (Jonah Hill) is obsessed with dick. He claims to be obsessed with pussy, but of course, since he's never actually seen one, he's concentrated on what he knows. His total BFF Evan (Michael Cera) seems to have matured in the years between puberty and high school, and with precious little time before graduation, has his sights set on college... a college from which Seth was rejected.

Enter into this scene a golden opportunity: A popular girl throwing a party, and inviting these outcasts... as long as they can bring the booze. Seconds later, they scramble, finding Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), an outcast among outcasts, who happens to be wielding a fake ID, famously emblazened with a single word: McLovin. The day sets forth Ferris Bueller style, a series of vulgar misadventures, sex on the brain, and realistically marginal character growth.

Though capably directed by Greg Mottola (his first feature since The Daytrippers), there is no mistaking that this is a Judd Apatow movie. Unfortunately, it seems more bloated than his previous productions, especially surrounding an out-of-place subplot concerning McLovin and two immature police officers. One of those officers is played by Seth Rogen, who cowrote the screenplay with Evan Goldberg while they were in high school, and any guesses about the autobiographical nature of the characters can be answered by looking again at their names.

Yet the outrageous situations are grounded by these very real, very flawed and very open protagonists, with reams of quotable lines such as "You know how many foods are shaped like dicks? The best kinds" and "Nobody has gotten a BJ in cargo shorts since 'nam." As a bonus, the two-disc DVD promises to have even more outtakes that they couldn't cram into the movie. Sure, the movie is too long as it is, but I wouldn't want to miss any of the jokes from this immensely talented team.

– David Gorgos

© TLA Entertainment Group

Hotel Chevalier

(2007, 13 min): This slight but sexy short (available only on iTunes for now) is a moody prologue designed to get audiences excited for the full-length The Darjeeling Limited. As the minimal dialogue raises more questions than it answers, I'd have to consider it a successful mission.

Jason Schwartzman plays Jack, a heartbroken American in Paris who gets a phone call from ex-girlfriend Natalie Portman (who doesn't appear in Darjeeling). They hook up, plant a few clues for the audience, and give us a taste of Wes Anderson's trademark mannered dialogue and expert compositions. As rendered on an iPod, however, much of that beauty is lost, though Schwartzman's formidable mustache and Portman's fine tush are unmistakable.

You can't argue with the cost of the download (free), and Hotel Chevalier is certainly a splendid tease. But if its promise doesn't pay off in the feature, I reserve the right to knock a star off the rating in the future (as I wish I could have done for The Matrix Reloaded).

– David Gorgos

© TLA Entertainment Group