“Lars and the Real Girl,” an offbeat comedy about love in all forms, offers an answer to that age-old question: Is it possible to make a film about a life-size, anatomically-correct doll that is not rude, crude or pornographic?

Said answer is a resounding (if surprising) “yes” — with careful, brilliant casting, a witty script and a director with a remarkably patient style and an eye for details.

And, of course, it goes without saying that the doll in question has to be endlessly fascinating without ever saying a word.

The storyline, for those who haven’t seen the film trailer, sounds like a possible “Saturday Night Live” skit. Meet Lars Lindstrom (Gosling), a practically mute emotional hermit who lives alone in the garage apartment attached to the home of his brother Gus (Paul Schneider) and pregnant sister-in-law Karin (Emily Mortimer). Sporting a tight, nervous smile, Lars lives deep inside his head and has little desire for human interaction. (More than once he literally runs away when someone gets too close.) The townspeople treat him like a lost puppy, and his co-workers regard him with a mix of disdain and morbid curiosity.

Enter Bianca, the life-size doll Lars ordered off the Internet. He brings her home and treats her like, well, his girlfriend. She is, he proudly informs a stunned Gus and Karin, a wheelchair-bound Brazillian-Danish missionary who is shy and doesn’t speak much English.

She’s here to “experience the world,” and Lars wants everyone to like her as much as he does.

At this point another film might have veered dangerously into parody or slapstick, but “Lars” deftly sidesteps those pitfalls. The townspeople rally to support Lars’s delusion, and their enthusiasm soon leads the recluse to wonder about life outside his garage ... including Margo (Kelly Garner), a friendly, interested co-worker.

Much of the beauty of “Lars” rests with Gosling, who’s becoming more impressive with each performance. He shrinks himself inside and out to play Lars, a man who lives so deep inside his own head that he can barely hear others when they talk to him. Gosling never showboats or overacts; instead, he underplays to great effect, letting Lars’s wall crumble slowly, steadily, until the transformation seems believable. There’s little dialogue, so Gosling lets his eyes do the acting — and what marvelous things they express.

Details, too, make “Lars” a rich, entertaining and very poignant film. The best scenes are understated and almost slip by unnoticed.

Consider a clip where Lars, about to enter the first party he’s likely ever attended, lets his finger hover uncertainly over the doorbell for a full minute.

In another scene, Margo and Lars tentatively shake hands, and Lars holds on a beat longer than he should.

In perhaps the best scene, a psychiatrist (the ever-superb Patricia Clarkson) gently encourages Lars to let her touch his arm.

“Lars” is filled with moments like these, and all of them reveal an underlying truth: There can be beauty in awkwardness, and tenderness can appear in moments where it is least expected. There are no overblown speeches — “Lars” is smarter and better than that. It is a film that takes big risks and provides an unexpected emotional payoff. Kudos to everyone who had the guts to film and promote “Lars” — it’s the year’s first must-see film.

And it’s about time, too, that blow-up dolls got an image makeover.

(Note: “Lars,” a limited release MGM film, can be seen at Terrace Theater in Charleston. Visit the theater’s Web site at www.terracetheater.com for current showtimes.)

Grade: A