Ruby Sparks (2012)

The ultimate male fantasy. A struggling novelist writes about falling in love with a woman and it comes true. In fact, everything he writes about her comes true. Of course, with great power comes...happiness? I fail to see the setbacks here. It's a take on the Pygmalion myth, but I won't spoil it any further. I love this film because it celebrates the power of imagination, as solipsistic as it is.

4½ muses out of 5

Note: See also, Mannequin, for a counterpoint to this idea.

The Monster (2016)

Simple in title and plot, Bryan Bertino's The Monster packs its punch in the dysfunctional mother/daughter dynamic. Zoe Kazan & Ella Ballentine offer up some deeply impressive acting, especially for a genre piece. Careful pacing coupled with pivotal flashbacks along the way allow us to see an effective emotional arc between the two. Their scars ultimately form their familial bond. And while the slow burn lets the characters grow on you, it does take some time to reach the story's conflict. The titular monster is the model of simplicity. The brooding beast rarely overstays its welcome on screen. The few fierce, fleeting moments are enough to convey its threat. A little overshadowed by the dramatics, The Monster still scores as a thrilling creature feature.

3½ FUCK YOUs out of 5

THE F WORD [2013]

aka What If 

Mostly known for vulgar Canadian comedies, director Michael Dowse takes a more tender turn into romance with The F Word (re-titled What If in the U.S.).
A pip-pip in Toronto,  wearied from failed romances, meets a young Canadian woman, already in a serious relationship, who he quickly becomes friends with but yearns for more.  Rom-coms are the sort of film that are so formulaic you know exactly how it's going to play out so it needs to depend on the characters and dialogue to hold the viewer's attention.  Fortunately every actor involved has a lovable sort of presence and parts written well enough so that they don't come off as overly privileged whiny snots, which is all to frequent in these types of films.   

3 alternate names for Cool Whip out of 5

IN YOUR EYES [2014]

In Your Eyes is a delightful romantic fantasy from director Brin Hill and written by some guy called Joss Whedon.
A young woman and man, living on different sides of the country, have a connection by being able to see through each other's eyes which leads to feelings and choices they never thought they'd make.  The film starts off with a lot of promise, mostly thanks to the warmly charismatic leads and Whedon's clever dialogue but it soon falls short about half-way through as it steps into the genre's usual tropes.
Still, it's a fine film that is incredibly cute, occasionally quite funny, flavored with just a hint of melancholy and generally harmless all around.

3 double-whammy pool cues out of 5