Movie Recommendation: "Ruby Sparks" (2012) - Starring Paul Dano and Zoe Kazan

Photo Credit: Fox Searchlight

Imagine that you are a writer and that you have the power to make a character come to life just by writing about her/him? You have complete control over this person just by typing words. When writer Calvin Weir-Fields (Paul Dano) discovers he has such a talent, his world literally changes, in the recently released film Ruby Sparks. Calvin has been a writer for some time and his first novel was a big success. However, he has never been able to complete another book. Now that is a serious case of writer's block. Calvin is also dealing with a recent break-up from his ex-girlfriend, Lila. He does not appear to have any real friends, but has a dog who he clearly loves. In addition, Calvin's brother, Harry (Chris Messina), is one of the few people who regularly inhabits his life.

However, Calvin's lonely existence is about to come to an end. After experiencing a dream about meeting a young woman in a park, he begins to find women's clothing and other strange items around his house. One morning, as Calvin struggles with getting to a meeting on time, he realizes that he still needs to walk the dog. However, Ruby, the girl that he met in his dream, is in his apartment cooking breakfast. Calvin is very disturbed by this revelation and runs away from Ruby. He suspects that he may be hallucinating, but soon realizes that other people can see Ruby as well and, soon thereafter, a real relationship is formed.

Some time passes before Calvin fully realizes that not only did he make Ruby come to life, but he can also make her do whatever he wishes simply by typing the words. Ruby speak French. Ruby stop being so clingy. Ruby calm down. Calvin believes that he can continue to tweak Ruby until she is "perfect." But what kind of relationship is that? Calvin is in complete control and after a while he decides to let her know that he is in charge during a chaotic, dramatic and extremely well acted scene when everything comes full circle.

I read very little about Ruby Sparks prior to seeing the film, so the majority of the story came as a pleasant surprise to me. The screenplay, by Zoe Kazan, who also portrays Ruby, is smart and original. The psychological ramifications of Calvin and Ruby's situation are intensely interesting and well thought out. Their relationship is an unhealthy one because all the power and control lies with Calvin. While I understand that he is lonely and is dealing with insecurity issues, that is no excuse to exact total control over Ruby for his benefit. She literally has no say in anything that happens to her. She is a mere puppet to her master. Paul Dano and Zoe Kazan deliver performances that live up to the quality of the screenplay. I still vividly recall the haunting scene when Calvin reveals to Ruby that she is his creation, in every sense of the word. The result is a chilling, almost frightening realization that is made more dramatic with Calvin's typing and the urgent background music, as Ruby is made to do whatever Calvin decides, which then leads to a fateful decision about their future.

The supporting cast includes Annette Bening and Antonio Banderas, as Calvin and Harry's mother and her lover, and Elliott Gould as Calvin's therapist, Dr. Rosenthal. The few scenes between Calvin and Dr. Rosenthal are terrific and I wanted to see more. Ruby Sparks may not be what you expect, but that is a good thing. The film features elements of romance, fantasy, drama and a little bit of comedy that all conspire to make it one of the most surprising and interesting films of the year.