In case you haven't seen the movie yet, or have never even heard of it, the basic plot begins with writer, Calvin Weir-Fields, caught in a constant writer's block ever since the successful publication of his first novel (when he was 19). Since then he has been going to therapy to try and resolve the problem, and his therapist tells him to write a story about someone who likes his dog just the way he is; Calvin's dog Scotty is scared of strangers and also pees like a female dog (something Calvin finds embarrassing). Ruby appears to him in a dream where the task his therapist had set him is conjured. He gradually becomes more and more obsessed with her, describing the specific details of her background story and personality traits; he tells his therapist he's even falling in love with her. Then Ruby becomes real. The story then follows Calvin's struggle with morality, possession and obsession; all surrounding Ruby Sparks.
So Ruby Sparks...where should I even begin...? Well I loved the plot and the concept of control and manipulation in relationships. The ability to practically make a person do what you want, whenever you want, and the effect this has on both the manipulator and the manipulated. I love how as the movie gradually went on, everything got darker and darker with the climax scene of Calvin revealing to Ruby that he can control her. It was superbly well done, it could have been absolutely ridiculous; especially when he makes her act like a dog. But with the quick cuts between shots, the build up of tension as the scene goes on, and the horrified expressions on both actor's faces really makes this scene the darkest and most terrifying in the movie. My heart was absolutely racing throughout.
It also attacks the concept of a person's 'ideal' partner. The 'perfect' person who embodies all of these traits that you want in someone, yet if they go against this ideal for even a moment, the other doesn't like this and tries to manipulate things to go back to how they believe the person should be. This is an unhealthy relationship. A person cannot force someone to be how they want them to be. The movie depicts this amazingly; as soon as Ruby starts to exhibit signs of making her own choices and decisions, basically developing free will, she becomes someone Calvin doesn't like. It creates conflict in the relationship because she is becoming her own person. In order to counteract this, Calvin starts manipulating her again; he makes her unable to live without him, and then become ridiculously happy all the time, and then back to how she was before. This makes her become practically bipolar, although the subject isn't touched upon as heavily as it could have been, it is mentioned briefly when Ruby comments on how her emotions have been unstable.
The heavy representation of abusive relationships throughout is something I found unexpected; now there is no physical abuse, unless you count the part where Calvin roughly grabs Ruby's arm after being caught in her underwear with another man in a pool.(I will delve into the dialogue in this scene as it also discusses slut-shaming). What Calvin does to Ruby is mental abuse; he makes her develop a bipolar disorder, as mentioned beforehand, by tampering with her emotions and then in the climax of the scene where it is revealed to her that he can control her, practically traumatises her with the knowledge and also the forced actions enacted by Calvin. The movie itself is unsettling and it should make you feel uncomfortable to watch.
The pool scene where Calvin brings out his slut shaming attitude moreso is one of the scenes that really caught my attention. After finding Ruby in her underwear, about to get into a pool with another man, Calvin becomes livid. Does he cling to women because of the fact his mother left his father; he even regards his mother as a "heartless slut" at the beginning of the movie. Calvin is a misogynist and a slut-shamer who hides all this behind his apparent love for women. He's controlling because he can't stand the thought of being left by someone as his mother did to his father. He hates women like his mother. And as soon as it appears Ruby may be leaving him, or is flirting with other men, the manipulative, sexist part of him comes out.
Calvin: "Do want to know my rules? Don't fuck other men. Don't let them think about fucking you."
Ruby: "So now I'm responsible for what other people are thinking?"
Calvin: "Yes you are responsible when you act a certain way, it leads people on. When you take your clothes off at a party, it makes people think you're a slut so I'd really prefer if you didn't do that, is that clear enough for you?"
I liked Calvin's character at the beginning of the movie but as he becomes corrupted by the power and control he has over Ruby, I found myself disliking him more and more. I also hated the hint that at the end he is able to have a second chance with Ruby, which I felt is something he does not deserve nor the character himself should pursue. We'll never know however if they do end up back together, yet knowing that Ruby has no idea what Calvin had done to her in the past is somewhat demeaning. Removing her knowledge of him is something Calvin had no right to do. He never asked her if she didn't want to remember. He felt that it was the right decision. But what if she had the choice and she did want to remember? Isn't that something she has the right to? But no, she is not given that choice, like with the rest of what Calvin had done to her in the past. He uses his last moment of control to erase the memories of him because he probably couldn't stand the fact that someone he 'loved' had seen him at his worst and rejected him for it.
Now onto Ruby Sparks, casting that sexist 'Manic Pixie Dream Girl' notion aside (which I find absolutely ridiculous, as well as the term 'Mary Sue'), Ruby does have depth to her. She's emotional, as Calvin made her be, she's rebellious, spontaneous and has that 'to hell with it' attitude. At moments I did find her rather irritating; she tends to forget about other people's feelings and how her actions could affect others. But that's her character. She jumps into things and then thinks things through afterwards. She's an action before thought person. I suppose that's what makes her an interesting character because you don't know what she's going to do next. She's not perfect. No character or person ever is. And that's what Calvin couldn't handle; the flaws of her personality, or what he believes to be flaws that he so desperately changes.
Overall, I give it a rating of 8/10.
Peace out readers!
-Natasha xx
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