Ruby Sparks – review

Something of a disappointment after the same husband and wife team's delightful Little Miss Sunshine, Ruby Sparks is a modern take on the story of Pygmalion. Instead of a Greek sculptor falling in love with his creation and bringing her to life, we're given Calvin (Paul Dano), a tiresomely immature Los Angeles novelist being advised by his shrink that he might break his lengthy block by writing a story about a girl who'll love his annoying dog without reservations. Accordingly Calvin invents a girl called Ruby Sparks (Zoe Kazan), his block is broken, but one morning Ruby walks in to share his life. She's more perfect than one of the Stepford wives, and all he needs to do is type "she speaks French", and she's entirely fluent in the language. Kazan, who also wrote the script, is endearing, and the movie's funny for the first half-hour. But thereafter it stumbles like someone trying to find their way out of a hall of mirrors.