Ruby Sparks

The makers of Little Miss Sunshine experiment with some light melancholy in this fascinating fantasy. Paul Dano stars as creatively frustrated writer Calvin Weir-Fields, whose dream woman (played by Dano's real-life girlfriend Zoe Kazan) suddenly comes to life in his kitchen. Kazan (granddaughter of On the Waterfront director Elia Kazan) also wrote the screenplay, which takes a high-concept, whimsical approach that isn't concerned with the whys or wherefores of this strange occurrence. It simply offers a convenient route into Calvin's mind, where he grapples with self-doubt, narcissism and an obsessive need for control. Meanwhile Kazan sends up the ideal of the lovable kook that populates many a Hollywood romantic comedy, literally bouncing off the walls in one scene. A spirit of mischief - also personified in small roles by Steve Coogan, Antonio Banderas and Annette Bening - helps to temper the angst of Dano's performance, but at crucial moments the balance tips too far one way or the other. On the whole, however, the movie, like the perfect romantic heroine, is full of charm.