The movie follows the story of Calvin, a young novelist who once achieved tremendous success. Although Calvin achieved great successes, he is now struggling with his writings as Calvin finds romance in an unusual way by creating a female figure that he believes he will love him someday.
If the result feels like a Pinocchio story that spends too much time with Geppetto, or a takedown of narcissism that never breaks free of what it's critiquing, Dano nonetheless makes Calvin compelling company.
Ruby Sparks is a good little cute 'n' clever (dare I call it... quirky?) movie, and it's possible that the degree to which I'm frustrated with it is solely due to the fact that I hoped for something different, something more.
Sure it's been done before -- man brings ideal woman to life -- but not quite like Ruby Sparks. And that sets this film up to be a smart and romantic low-key comedy that goes beyond expectations.
Ruby Sparks is an honest, entertaining, and insightful picture that, despite a very 'filmy' happy ending, offers up an amusingly frank deconstruction of the 'dream girl' idea that pervades much modern fiction.
Ruby Sparks flirts with preciousness and has less fun with its premise than it could have, but that's because it's actually a gently touching metaphorical drama about the real essence of love.
Kazan the writer asks a lot of Kazan the actress, putting her through an emotional wringer while also calling upon her to convincingly traverse a path from happiness to humiliation without missing a beat. She seldom disappoints.
