7.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Calvin is a young novelist who achieved phenomenal success early in his career but is now struggling with his writing – as well as his romantic life. Finally, he makes a breakthrough and creates a character named Ruby who inspires him. When Calvin finds Ruby, in the flesh, sitting on his couch about a week later, he is completely flabbergasted that his words have turned into a living, breathing person.
Starring: Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan, Chris Messina, Annette Bening, Antonio BanderasRomance | 100% |
Imaginary | 31% |
Supernatural | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
Czech: Dolby Digital 5.1
Hungarian: Dolby Digital 5.1
Polish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Turkish: Dolby Digital 5.1
English SDH, Portuguese, Spanish, Arabic, Bulgarian, Cantonese, Croatian, Czech, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Korean, Malay, Mandarin (Traditional), Polish, Romanian, Serbian, Slovenian, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Think Marilyn Monroe in Some Like It Hot. Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's. Hell, Zooey Deschanel in everything she's ever
been in. The archetype has always existed in film—and literature before that—but it wasn't given a name that stuck until film critic Nathan Rabin
referred to Kirstin Dunst's character in Elizabethtown as a Manic Pixie Dream Girl, "that bubbly, shallow cinematic creature that exists solely in
the fevered imaginations of sensitive writer-directors to teach broodingly soulful young men to embrace life and its infinite mysteries and adventures."
It's an essentially pejorative term, and it should be, as it describes female characters who are developed only to the extent of "completing," and
fulfilling the fantasies of, their male counterparts. MPDGs are the prime example of male-centric Hollywood—and culture at large—not knowing how to
write about or relate to women. And at first, the titular redhead in Ruby Sparks seems to be one. Played by the adorkable Zoe Kazan—
who also wrote the film's script—Ruby is an ethereal presence quite literally conjured out of the imagination of a depressed writer, who begins a story
about his ideal girl and finds that she's somehow been physically manifested in the real world. Kazan flips the trope on its pretty little head, however,
using the film—which is part satire, part sentimental love story—to comment on the ways in which we try in vain to control our significant others and
mold them into the people we'd like them to be.
Suddenly, she appears...
Ruby Sparks suddenly appears on Blu-ray with a lovable 1080p/AVC-encoded presentation. The film was shot digitally—using Arri Alexa high definition video cameras—but it has a very filmic look. So much so, in fact, that while I was watching it, and before I had checked the tech specs online, I assumed I was viewing a 35mm image. There's a fine patina of what looks a lot like grain over the picture—it doesn't have the harsher, speckled quality of digital source noise—and while I'm not sure if this was added in post or what, it looks natural and suits the mood of the movie well. The image on the whole is nicely refined, with excellent clarity—closeups are particularly impressive, revealing skin and clothing textures—and no apparent compression or filtering issues. The color palette is great too; it's generally realistic but slightly romanticized with creamy, softened highlights and carefully chosen hues. (I love all the muted whites and grays in Calvin's house.) Skin tones seem accurate, black levels are deep without endangering shadow detail, and contrast is right where it needs to be. No real problems here whatsoever.
The film's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is—like a lot of indie rom-com/dramas—a mostly quiet, low-key, dialogue-driven experience. You'll notice some occasional ambience from the rear speakers—gym noise, club chatter, insects and wind—but precious few directional effects. The surround channels are mostly used to augment what's coming from the front, namely, DeVotchKa-member Nick Urata's emotionally potent score, which sounds fantastic during the moments when it gets a chance to really swell. Dialogue is the focus here, and it's always cleanly recorded, well balanced, and easily understood. The disc also includes a number of dub and subtitle options; see above for details.
Ruby Spark' supplementary materials are unfortunately limited to a series of short and mostly fluffy EPK-style pieces, with some behind-the- scenes footage and quick interviews with the cast and crew, who discuss the story, the casting, and the themes at play in the film. An audio commentary with Kazan and the directors would've been nice, but alas. If you're looking for particulars, this is what you'll find on the disc:
Ruby Sparks will definitely appeal to fans of Eternal Sunshine and (500) Days of Summer; it has that same audience-friendly amalgam of high-concept premise, bittersweet romance, and surprising optimism. Writer/co-star Zoe Kazan and her real-life boyfriend Paul Dano make a nerdy indie-cute couple, and it's a pleasure watching them onscreen together in a rom-com that doesn't insult its viewers' emotional intelligence. Though short on substantive special features, the film makes a strong showing on Blu-ray and would make a fine choice for a movie night in with your S.O. Recommended!
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