RUBY SPARKS
Starring Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan
Directed by Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris
Admittedly, the premise for Ruby Sparks a despondent writer wills his fictional dream girl into existence doesnt seem all that promising.
And a trailer that highlights its more quirky, montage-friendly elements only serves to heighten ones apprehension. Fortunately, as the actual film unfolds, screenwriter/star Zoe Kazan employs these fanciful trappings to delve into her protagonists more unsavoury characteristics.
A one-time wunderkind, novelist Calvin Weir-Fields is now a neurotic and emasculated mess. Afflicted with writers block, hes also lost his nerve with women.
As he bemoans: Theyre not interested in me. Theyre interested in some idea of me. Of course, hes proven a hypocrite in rather short order. When Ruby Sparks (Kazan) leaps off of his typewritten pages and into his life (and bed), Calvin is far more enchanted by her idiosyncrasies rather than the qualities that make her an actual person.
It seems reasonable to interpret this as Kazans criticism of the embarrassingly underwritten roles shes routinely offered as a twentysomething actress.
By granting Calvin the ability to literally rewrite his romance, she also offers a unique take on the manipulative actions that can sour any relationship.
Its also rather cutting commentary on the inherent sadism of writers. After all, these are people who bring characters into being for the purpose of making them suffer for our entertainment.
Given all of this, you wish that Kazan and co-directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (Little Miss Sunshine) werent content to let Calvin off the hook in a pat closing chapter. The film is far more honest and intriguing when hes twisting in the wind.
