Baby Ruby

Directed by Bess Wohl, Baby Ruby follows Jo (Noémie Merlant) as she slowly-but-surely begins to crack under the pressure of raising a colicky newborn. Filmmaker Wohl, working from her screenplay, does an effective job of initially luring the viewer into the increasingly unwatchable proceedings, as Baby Ruby opens with a promising initial stretch that rarely goes where one might’ve anticipated – with the presence of several ominous elements, including a creepy encounter with a new mom, perpetuating the agreeably off-kilter atmosphere. It’s disappointing to note, then, that the picture progresses into a repetitive and aggressively surreal midsection devoid of compelling attributes, and there’s little doubt, certainly, that the arms-length feel is heightened by the growing emphasis on elements that may or may not be actually occurring (ie is any of this actually happening?) The movie’s failure is especially distressing given the degree to which Merlant throws herself into her character, and it’s clear, as well, that the picture does contain a small handful of effective, low-key moments (eg a terrific scene wherein Jo’s mother-in-law shares a similar experience she went through with a newborn). And while the movie likely does present an accurate depiction of postpartum depression, Baby Ruby, which contains virtually nothing in which to get wholeheartedly invested, mostly comes off as a headache-inducing, wildly over-the-top disaster that feels much, much longer than its 93 minutes.

* out of ****