Reviews

The comedy of the film is truly situational, neither exaggerated nor highlighted. The foreshadowing is perfectly paced and provided in just the right doses. What grafts the viewer into the film, what gives it not just plausibility, but also permits the audience complete identification with its content is the sobriety of its delivery. The direction provides a gentle, real, and consistent slice of oh-so-normal aberrant life, to the point that two very different-looking brothers have some nearly identical mannerisms that are recognizably so, without a need to magnify or embellish them.

The premise of this film - at its essence - has been approached many times; however, until Lars and the Real Girl, I had never truly believed it could be handled well. This is a film of sincerity, painted with deftness and a respect for the audience: Neither is there a horse pill of an agenda being rammed down the viewer's throat, nor are the characters' motives sketched in line art on flash cards for everyone to "get".

...and the camera work and editing let the viewer forget that there are camera, film, people, and processes between the characters and the audience.

We get nice close-ups of people's faces for minutes at a time. Every once in a while you can see a finger or hand flit by. For a film in which the standard mode of communication is American Sign Language, shouldn't you keep the signed conversation on-screen? Also, were the actors specifically directed to act deadpan? I have seen Marlee Matlin act very expressively before, so some other force must have been at work. During scenes of intense argument and emotion, even depicting a turning point for some of the characters, we have minutes of camera switches between characters' faces. No signing visible on screen. No facial expression to tell you who's angry, who's hurt, who's sympathetic, who cares.

This endearing tale is a fine example of Hayao Miyazaki's lighter writing. Papa (papanda) really elevates the amusement....and the theme song is perfectly suited.