Really? Ruby?....Ruby, Ruby, Ruby.
I'll give this much, After
Silver Linings, that "wall" scene in
Ruby Sparks was the most memorable thing from of all of those for me.
It's just...it's a hook without a movie. I mean, it was born out of a such an amazing idea for a film. Just hearing the idea was enough to know you
had to see it: the deconstruction of the manic pixie dream girl.
I
loved that idea. A one-hit wonder writer, who's having trouble with his followup novel, literally dreams up the perfect manic pixie girl...and then he gets so invested in this book and this dream, that she comes to life. Like...that's should be a thinking man's
Weird Science, right? She changes on his whims, with every word he types. And it should be perfect, but she feels her own plot holes and illogical shortcomings, becomes self-aware and turns the mirror back on the what type of person would want her to exist...like this. Like, it
should speak on the condescension and belittling of women, and sorta...
The Graduate style...well what do you do once you've got what you wanted?
I love it. The idea. And that'll have to be good enough, because outside of the idea and one image, it's a really forgettable, dime a dozen kinda indie movie. I get saying it's only behind Silver Linings if you love the idea that much. And the girl is not bad.
But Paul Dano
You never could've told me he'd have the biggest career out of everyone in
Girl Next Door. It's a Kaufman film that never was. It reminds me so much of
Adaptation,
Eternal Sunshine and
Synecdoche, NY...in that one basic core idea.
But it just kinda rolls outta bed, crawls around and then calls it a wrap...Paul Dano as the nice guy lead is just whatever. He had that one good scene at the party, but for the most part he's as ehhhh in the role as that main kid from
Perks. Fine for what it is, but you really could've got something special outta someone else. And Ruby is just any girl.
I mean, I'd put
Youth in Revolt over this.
