As beautiful a film as any that I’ve seen so far in 2012, ‘Ruby Sparks’ is a small miracle of a movie, and for a while my favorite of the year (I’d felt this way since I saw it back in June, but have been under embargo until now and ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ has since just ever so slightly stolen that mantle, though in another week or so I might change my mind, so stay tuned there). A cross between the Greek myth of Pygmalion and the films ‘Harvey’ and ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’, there’s really nothing not to like about this flick, which features one of the most ingenious screenplays in years. Not only does this movie establish writer/star Zoe Kazan a future A-lister both in terms of acting (like I’ve been saying for a couple of years now) and writing, it also showcases filmmakers Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris escaping the sophomore jinx in spectacular fashion. For my money, this fantastical romantic fantasy is even better than ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ (which I loved). From the stellar direction by Dayton and Faris to the brilliant script by Kazan to the performances by Kazan and Paul Dano, nearly everything about this movie is flawless. Equal parts humorous, heartbreaking, and heartwarming, this has something for everyone. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll be moved. I hope Oscar notices this little gem, as it’s worth of a few Academy Awards. I’ll be doing my part to raise awareness on the the film since frankly, it just deserves it.
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Tags: Alia Shawkat, Annette Bening, Antonio Banderas, Chris Messina, Deborah Ann Woll, Early Review, Jonathan Dayton, Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, Oscar hopeful, Paul Dano, Ruby Sparks, Steve Coogan, Valerie Faris, Zoe Kazan
