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A fine example of micro-budget indigenous film-making, Ruby Blue sees director Jan Dunn build on the success of 2006's Gypo with another low-key story set on the Kent coast. Dispensing with that flick's Dogme 95 trappings, Ruby tells of a pigeon-racing widower (Hoskins) whose budding romance with his new French neighbour (Balasko) is imperiled when his relationship with a young girl (Jessica Stewart) is misconstrued. Modest, thoughtful and gently humorous, it's a homegrown gem that's worth seeking out.

Dunn's blend of the scripted and the improvised inevitably invites comparisons with Mike Leigh, as does her focus on what she has called "the harsh reality of lower-class suburban isolation." In reality, though, Ruby is far more tightly scripted than Leigh's oeuvre, revolving as it does around one key revelation and a certain amount of rather unlikely contrivance. It also feels noticeably less caricatured, although that is as much down to Hoskins and Balasko's well-rounded and heartfelt performances as it is to the director's pensive and compassionate screenplay.

"POIGNANT CHARACTER STUDY"
Okay, so the slightly dour visuals won't make you put Thanet on your list of potential vacation spots, while the ending feels a little too neat and cosy given all the trials that Hoskins' character is forced to endure. On the whole, though, this poignant character study is a real find that deserves a much wider release than the small arthouse roll-out its producers have assembled. Kudos, too, to KT Tunstall for giving the project a pair of tracks for its opening and closing titles.

Neil Smith

Washington City Paper

Saturday, March 8, 7 p.m.
Writer-director Jan Dunn's melodrama stars Bob Hoskins as a man going to seed in the British coastal town of Ramsgate—his wife is recently dead, his son is bitter and withholds the grandkids, and he's a magnet for the mockery of local teens. Nothing a precocious child can’t fix: Once Florrie (Jessica Stewart) arrives to ask, "Why does everybody call you Grumpy Jack?" it's clear that Ruby Blue is yet another entry in the cute-kid-as-redeemer genre. But it's a better-than-average one: Dunn's script is filled out with a host of characters and subplots that nicely detail working-class life (Josiane Balasko is especially good as a middle-aged French matron), and Hoskins' performance improves on the script. Drawing on some of the dark energy he mastered in films like The Long Good Friday, he refuses to let Jack degrade into a Hallmark card.

MA

Empire Film Magazine

Plot
Following the death of his wife, struggling Jack (Hoskins), builds relationships that are threatened by the judgemental people around him.

Review
Bittersweet to the core, Ruby Blue is director Jan Dunn's follow-up to Gypo. Hoskins is pigeon trainer Jack, a depressed widower who finds solace in the company of 8 year-old neighbour Florrie. Hunted by the narrow-minded community who fail to see the innocence in their bond, Jack builds a relationship with the mysterious Stephanie (Balasko), which is in turn threatened by a secret he finds hard to accept. The strong, understated cast, including the promising Jody Latham as wayward teen Ian, makes this slow building story into a personal and occasionally heart-rending piece of film. Far from seeming creepy or inappropriate, Jack's friendships with Florrie and Ian give hope against a backdrop of mob mentality and degrading social values. The naturalistic script gave a sense of realism, but the odd use of incidental music is distracting at times.

Verdict
A hard hitting but hopeful British drama with a pared down performance from Bob Hoskins.

San Jose’s newspaper - Metro

March 2008, following the US Premiere of the film at Ciniquest International Independent Film Festival
Shows like To Catch a Predator make the hunt for potential child sexual abusers seem more like a distorted game than a public service. As such, it's surprising to see an uplifting film like Ruby Blue take on the issue. Bob Hoskins plays Jack, a man whose long-suffering wife has just died. His son rejects him, and neighborhood hoodlums harass him. In a modern-day English town, Jack spends his gray, depressing days brooding and boozing around his neglected house, unshaven, dejected and self-hating. The sun starts to shine, though, when an attractive older French woman and a precocious little girl befriend him. Jack slowly begins to come out of his shell and help those around him. But when the little girl suddenly goes missing, the neighborhood starts to turn on Jack, believing that he had something more sinister in mind with their innocent friendship. The highlight of writer-director Jan Dunn's drama is the lead. Hoskins is able to show more frustration and emotion in the act of throwing pieces of a tuna sandwich off a pier than most actors could summon in a full-on tirade. Ruby Blue shows how a community can come together to help someone, and then just as easily turn on him when paranoia comes into play. With charm and quality acting, the film is ultimately able to remain positive and reassuring, even as it deals with such sensitive and loaded subject matter.

JF