Review of Ruby Sparks (2012) by Mike C — 06 Feb 2013

A clever and fun, yet still emotional and touching, romantic comedy from the directing team behind Little Miss Sunshine, Ruby Sparks doesn't necessarily make the most of its comic potential but it does work very well as a drama.

Simply put, the film is about a lonely writer who is narcissistic but well-meaning who writes a story about his ideal girlfriend, and is then shocked to discover that she has appeared in his home. Although the premise may sound like typically cheesy rom-com material, Zoe Kazan's fantastic script turns it into a very sympathetic and human story.

Paul Dano and Kazan, who along with writing the film also stars as Ruby, both give great performances. The script gives both of them ample opportunity to demonstrate their acting ability and they have good chemistry together, although this is more than likely because they are boyfriend and girlfriend in reality.

Ruby Sparks isn't always laugh-out-loud funny, but it is ultimately a very sweet movie that works very well thanks to its two leads and a compassionate well-written screenplay. Maybe this isn't quite on Little Miss Sunshine's level, but you'd be very wrong to dismiss it, as it's very worth watching.