Review of Ruby Sparks (2012) by Luke B — 03 Feb 2013

At the end of the film, somebody mentions that the book within the film is "pretentious" and such a word could be used to describe this apparent deconstruction of the Manic Pixie Dreamgirl, which in itself is a stupid term.

At the films core is a genuinely interesting story about a man whose creation comes to life and will do whatever she is written to do. What he soon finds is that there is no "ideal" woman, and that you have to take the rough with the smooth.

Unfortunately the film assumes too much about relationships and people to the point where it doesn't really have any form of conclusion. There are a number of funny, powerful, and moving moments, but the script often seems to be written from anger instead of a point of understanding.

I think we were supposed to dislike Dano at times, but I never felt this. Kazan's Ruby was very unlikable no matter what mood or characteristics she was given and so it was hard to understand Dano's fascination with her.

However, the film does handle all of its matters in a mature way, and often tries to give us different perspectives.