V.C. Andrews' Ruby (2021) - Film Review

Australian twin sisters Raechelle and Karina Banno star as the notorious V.C. Andrews sisters in the Landry Family Saga. This first part focuses on Ruby Landry (Rachelle Banno) grateful for all she has, living a simple and happy existence in the heart of the Louisiana bayou. But innocence can t last forever, and when her loving grandmother and guardian passes away, a devastated Ruby must confront a new reality in the city of New Orleans, torn between a newfound love, and shocking revelations of her family s mysterious past

The creative team behind Gates of Paradise (2019) return to the V.C. Andrews universe with director Gail Harvey and screenwriting duo Richard Blaney and Gregory Small. Harvey's vision captures beautiful visuals and her eye for bringing out great moments in her cast shows in this adaptation - she did a great job behind the camera, especially when capturing the 60s mise en scène. As for the screenplay, Blaney and Small wrote this brilliantly. Ruby felt more like an active protagonist, embracing her own agency and having an independent spirit she lacked in the book. They kept to the plot points really well - considering so much happened, nothing felt rushed or bypassed. And outside of Ruby, the supporting cast were all written well in their dialogue and individual arcs.

This has to be one of the strongest casting of a V.C, Andrews adaptation. The Banno sisters were genius casting for Ruby and Gisselle. Like I said before, Ruby had a confidence in this adaptation that Raechelle fully embraces with strong and moving performances. Karina also brings humanity to the vindictive and spiteful Gisselle - this was a character that could have become a cartoonish villain on screen, but Karina keeps the character grounded in each scene she strolls into. Sam Duke's surprisingly endearing Paul Tate was well played - Like I said in my book review, Paul was very similar to Flowers in the Attic Christopher, but the relationship and later heartbreak for was more believable, both in the writing and acting. Lauralee Bell embodies the vain and manipulative archetype of V.C. mother roles, reminding me of Heather Graham's portrayal of Corrine in 2014. Other castings that stood out were Crystal Fox and Liza Huget, they were two of my personal favourites.

Sadly, I was a bit disappointed with Naomi Judd's portrayal of Catherine. Her short appearance in the film aside, I felt she lacked the stage presence seen in Louise Fletcher, Ellen Burstyn and Christina Jastrzembska's portrayals of past grandmother characters within V.C. Andrews adaptations. Personally, I would have cast Christina Jastrzembska in this role, especially after her performance as Annie Casteel in Heaven. Ty Wood was a mixed response for me - he looked the part and played the part of Beau well, but something hasn't really connected yet. Maybe I'll feel differently after watching his complete arc as the character, but right now he was just okay.

To start off a series, Ruby was definitely a strong one for the Landry series. The creatives didn't shy away from the gothic horror elements from the novel, the cinematography was nicely done, the cast gave consistent performances throughout and the screenplay was strong - the creative decisions actually made me think I would have made similar choices if I was adapting this book. With all of this in mind, I rated this FOUR-STARS on Letterboxd.

I am very much looking forward to reviewing Pearl in the Mist, All That Glitters and Hidden Jewel in the coming weeks.