REVIEW

 

 

DIRECTOR(S): JONATHAN DAYTON, VALERIE FARIS

STARRING: PAUL DANO, ZOE CAZAN, ANNETTE BENNING

RATING: 6.5/10

Ruby Sparks is a film full of contradictions, as a piece it often gets lost in itself. Much of the problem I encountered when watching it stemmed from its own confusion, as an introverted film about an introverted writer its moral message often shifts, presenting a polarised presentation of a romance.

The films narrative is interesting and original, Ruby Sparks follows a down-trodden and self-sorry writer Calvin (Weir-Fields), who regularly visits a shrink and suffers from writerÔÇÖs block. After being challenged by his therapist to embrace his dreams of a mysterious woman, he writes her as a character and literally wills his perfect woman into existence.

This is where the filmÔÇÖs messages become seemingly muddled. The relationship between Calvin and his creation explores manÔÇÖs basic fantasy of a subservient woman and the subsequent male dominance, resulting from this wish being granted and this is never really morally judged or questioned.

The film has an interesting take on the romance genre, and the duality of CalvinÔÇÖs character┬á makes spending a whole two hours in his viewpoint both challenging and strangely gripping. One of the most intense scenes of the film is when Ruby discovers CalvinÔÇÖs power over her, and breaks down as she is forced to speak in French, perform a strip tease and act like a growling dog. The film also asks a lot of its audience, Calvin asks his shrink to ÔÇÿjust believeÔÇÖ him and accept the miracle of RubyÔÇÖs existence and his power over her, his therapist replies ÔÇÿIÔÇÖll have to work on thatÔÇÖ. IÔÇÖll have to work on that too.

 

Oliver Richards