Movie Review

Garden State (2004)
Director: Zach Braff
Starring: Zach Braff, Natalie Portman, Peter Saarsgard, and Ian Holm.

Let me just get this out of the way first. Natalie Portman is beautiful in this film, she is too cute for words. I wish she could be my future wife. Every scene she's in she glows with such charisma and energy that all you can do is love her. Okay, done with my Natalie Portman speech. I loved this movie, it's characters, the soundtrack, the cinematography, and especially the directing.



Braff does a wonderful job (in his directorial debut no less) as director AND actor in this film. He takes time with his characters, he loves his characters, he cherishes each one. There are no villains within the film. The only villains I could see are the characters within themselves. Each is their own worst enemy. Braff is patient while letting the story unfold before your eyes. This is the purest essence of filmmaking.



The actors do an incredible job of bringing a sense of reality into the movie. Every character feels real and acts real. I cherished Braff's character of Andrew Largeman, whose character has been taking anti-depressants since he was 10. His friend Mark (Peter Saarsgard), a gravedigger who lives life slowly and whose mother dates a knight (that's right, a knight). Natalie Portman's Sam is genuine and true despite being a liar throughout half of the movie (for humor). Portman is radiant is every scene and almost steals every scene from Braff. Supporting characters such as Jesse (a character who's made "silent velcro"), Gideon Largeman (Andrew's strict and commanding father excellently portrayed by Ian Holm), and Karl Benson (Geoffrey Arend) an ignorant former classmate of Andrew's who thinks he committed suicide years ago. Every performance is pinpoint perfect in the film.



Another mention has to go to the amazing soundtrack consisting of Coldplay, Frou Frou, Remy Zero, Simon and Garfunkel, the Shins, and more. The film felt like it was created out of these songs. I loved the use of Frou Frou's song "Let Go" especially at the end, it just felt right.



This is one of the best American films of the year. Check it out.

Grade: A