Movies I loved that you may have missed

It's been a while since I blogged and I've been meaning to blog about some movies that I've seen in the past year or so that I really loved that most people probably didn't see.  These are in no particular order... just the order that my jumbled mind thinks of them in.  

1.  "Lars and the Real Girl"

This movie is about a guy, Lars (Ryan Gosling), that for some reason is so socially awkward and shy that he can't seem to let anyone really get close to him.  He shuts out everyone including his brother and sister-in-law who desperately want to help.  He decides to get himself a girlfriend in the form of a very real looking sex doll.  To the horror of those around him.  His brother and sister-in-law (Paul Schneider & Emily Mortimer) start uneasily playing along, allowing Lars to bring his "girlfriend" to dinner and even out in public.  Patricia Clarkson is in it too which just makes it a must-see in my book.  I know the premise sounds too weird but it's actually a very touching movie.

  

2.  "Once"

Two lonely strangers meet on the street in Dublin and soon find out that they share a love of music.  There also seems to be a strange musical connection as when they are together, songs just seem to come naturally out of their collaboration and mutual loneliness.  So the music is really good as all of the people in the film are actually professional musicians.  And the song "Falling Slowly" won an Oscar.  How about that?!

3.  "The Fall"

This movie is a cross between "The Wizard of Oz" and "Pan's Labyrinth".  A young hospitalized girl meets a movie stuntman in the hospital who fell trying to impress a woman who ended up going for another man.  The young girl asks him to tell her a story and half of the movie is the story he weaves that is tainted by his misery.  He's basically suicidal.  It's eye candy throughout.... from the director of the J. Lo vehicle "The Cell".   I highly recommend it.