Review of Ruby in Paradise (1993) by Jeremy C — 17 May 2008

An interesting look at the female perspective of the American Dream in the early '90's. This is an insanely small film, and quite difficult to come across, as it isn't even available on dvd. If by some fortunate circumstance, you are presented with the opportunity to view this film, you're in for a very solid film.

The acting in this film is very understated with a strong tie to reality. Ashley Judd plays the protagonist, Ruby, in her first film performance. She is excellent in this film, always buried in her character and never losing sense of character. The supporting cast if very understated, but they play nicely off of Judd. Judd's character is the core of this film, and the screenplay very directly revolves around her. Narration by Judd's character is prominent in the film, and serves as a device to express her personal thoughts. The narration is very effective in this film, as it gives us an insight to the thoughts of a character who isn't necessarily all that complex on the surface.

The sequence that stands out in my mind is the one in the hotel laundry room. Ruby is completely downtrodden at her employment situation. She is forced to take a job cleaning hotel sheets, which leaves her feeling dehumanized and defeated. There are two female co-workers in the laundry-room which serve as a sort of guiding pair to Ruby, which provide an interesting look at employment roles and class associations that come with them.

The two men in Ruby's life represent opposite ends on the human spectrum. On one hand there is the ultimate selfish American male, and on the other the "selfless" male. Interestingly, neither of them are anything close to perfect for Ruby, because they both embody single-minded ideals, when Ruby is searching for freedom.

"Ruby" is a very overlooked gem of early '90's cinema. It functions as a story of a young woman trying to make a life for herself, as well as a class tale of a very specific era.