Ruby Sparks

Starring: Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan, Chris Messina, Annette Bening, Antonio Banderas, Steve Coogan, Deborah Ann Woll, Elliott Gould
Directed by: Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
2012

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A novelist (Paul Dano) decides to write the perfect woman as his new character, andd his shocked when she appears in his house- exactly as he's written her.

Review:

Tim: Ruby Sparks feels like a film that tried to accomplish something new and different, but saw its attempt go wildly and irrevocably off course. This is a film that might have had some potential, but it's buried under a very deep pile of flaws. As the movie goes on, they just keep adding up. I really did not care for this movie much at all.

One of the biggest problems is that there's aren't any likeable characters. Our protagonist is Paul Dano, who plays this awful, selfish character. I'm not sure why we were supposed to care about him in the least. He's a has-been writer who has emotional issues and a hard time connecting with anyone. He's selfish, mean, and manipulative. And he's the character we spend the most time with. None of his flaws are interesting or accessible. He's just a boring, awful character. The main thrust of the film involves him manipulating Ruby Sparks by writing about her, making her into what he wants her to be. Now, is this fascinating in a symbolic way regarding the nature of many relationships? Without a doubt. Is it fun or entertaining to watch on screen? Not really. Dano was woefully miscast in this role. He's far better in small, supporting roles, especially if he can embrace his weirdness (he's an odd, odd man). He doesn't make a very good leading man.

Zoe Kazan was okay as Ruby Sparks, but I expected more from her, especially since she wrote the screenplay. I never knew how I was supposed to feel about her character. Did she really exist? Was she really a human being, or just an idea somehow made manifest. Did she have a soul? None of these deeper issues are even hinted at. That makes the manipulation Dano's character does feel strange. Was I supposed to be offended that he so callously changed her personality to fit his needs? If she was a human being, then yes, it's a horrific, manipulative, terrible thing he did. But, was she human? We never actually get any explanation for why or how she magically shows up. This added to the mystery of the story, but it doesn't let us really grab hold of the plot. Chris Messina felt like an actor who does nothing but straight-to-DVD movies. Annette Bening and Antonio Banderas are wasted in small roles. I liked seeing Elliott Gould here, but he disappears for far too much of the film.

Even at 104 minutes, this film felt way too long. There's nothing compelling enough in the story or characters to hold our attention for that length of time. The movie is supposed to be a comedy and drama, but it truly isn't very funny at all. It really makes you work to try and identify what is important about the film. As I mentioned, there's this great symbolism about a man trying to shape a woman's identity to fit his desires. In some ways, isn't that what a majority of human relationships are about? Two people each wishing the other would fulfill some need and when they don't, wishing the person would change to better fit their needs? It's horrible and selfish, but many relationships are like that. This film doesn't really explore those themes nearly enough.

Ruby Sparks had some interesting ideas, but isn't executed upon well at all. Directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris tried to follow up Little Miss Sunshine with another quirky, different story. This time, it failed miserable. This is a disappointing, forgettable film that made me wish I'd skipped it.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 5.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Little Miss Sunshine