A young novelist who achieved a phenomenal amount of success with his first novel is currently struggling with writing his next. His social life is not much better, as Calvin is a very sheltered home-body type, whose only real friend is his older brother. One night Calvin has a breakthrough in the creation of a character, Ruby Sparks, who inspires him. Things take a turn for the strange when Calvin discovers that he has somehow manifested Ruby, as a true, living-breathing human-being. Initially terrified by what he has created, Calvin quickly begins to fall in love with Ruby in real life, much like as the character in his latest novel. Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris' Ruby Sparks is a mix of 'Stranger Than Fiction' and 'Eternal Sunshine of A Spotless Mind' in that it uses unbelievable circumstances to tell a very human story. It's a hardly original concept, but the film is packaged well, with some great character work by Paul Dano and Zoe Kazan who really bring the story to life. My biggest critique of the film is that it simply doesn't go far enough in exploring the character of Calvin, an introverted intelligent mind whose failures in his past and current relationships mostly stem from his inability to accept the some things he simply can't control like his writing. The whole meta-fiction based relationship between Ruby and Calvin is a nice parable about the acceptance and understanding which is necessary in a relationship as well as commenting on the notion in which no one is perfect. The film just seems to wrap up too quickly, and I wish the film would have spent more time simply exploring the faults of Calvin, a young man whose past demons seem to haunt him. Regardless, Ruby Sparks is a refreshing film that is both creative and compelling enough to warrant your time. 7.5/10
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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