4. Lars Lindstrom - Lars and the Real Girl
When you think of Ryan Gosling, the term anti-social doesn't necessarily immediately spring to mind, however, in Lars and the Real Girl, Gosling expertly portrays Lars Lindstrom, a socially inept loner who purchases a "RealDoll", and develops a romantic relationship with "her". The subject matter is certainly out-there, as is Lars, but thanks to Gosling's brilliant ability to depict the character as lonely, lovable, and harmless, the viewer never has the urge to make fun of him. The same goes for Lars' fellow characters in this quirky dramedy. The community of people he lives among, although initially weirded out by his not-so-human girlfriend, comes to accept the "couple". It's a film with a beautiful lesson, and it is anchored by a perfectly nuanced performance by Ryan Gosling. This, played alongside Crazy, Stupid, Love goes even further to show Gosling's range - the fact that the same actor can so effortlessly inhabit two so conflicting characters, and bring something physical to each role that makes them look incredibly different, through performance along, is astonishing. He is creepy enough and engaging enough in Lars to give a character who could once again have been a figure of ridicule far more depth.