Saturday, October 4, 2014

Garden State movie review

Cast: Zach Braff, Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard, Ian Holm
Director: Zach Braff
Running time: 1 hour and 52 minutes

  It's been nine years since Andrew Largeman has been back home to New Jersey. But when his mother dies, Andrew is forced to go back to his childhood home, his psychiatrist father and his high school friends, for the funeral. You may think you know what kind of movie this is, but it's something completely different.

  Garden State is like nothing I've ever seen before. It's a drama, it's a comedy, it's a love story and it's all those things in the perfect way. I've never seen a movie do so much at once in a perfect blend. I might just started dipping my toes in this infinite pool that is movies, but I can't help being impressed with what "Garden State" achieved. Every type of incident depicted in this film, from the funny to the sad and from the lovely to the tragically horrible, everything is in harmony. There to compliment one another.

  One of the most wonderful things about this movie is how simple it actually is. There is not what someone would describe as a straight line plot. There is just a series of situations during a four day period that serve no higher purpose but they, slowly and surely, start reveling the personalities of everyone involved. In most of the movies "everything happens for a reason"; and people may want to believe that this is the case in real life but it's not. Garden State conveys that reality perfectly.

  At the beginning of the film we see how Andrew Largeman's life is  blank and emotionless. He, clearly, feels numb when we first meet him. So numb, in fact, that he can't even cry at his mother's funeral. But as the movie goes along and as more time passes from the last time he took his prescriptioned medicine, we start to witness subtle glimpses of emotion coming to the surface. We see him evolve from a medicated blank canvas into a colorful painting full of emotion. It was amazing to watch that process.

  Something else worth mentioning is how sensational all of the actors are. When you first meet the characters you may think that they are a type but Braff's writing combined with the excellent performances of the cast bring all the parts to life and give them a refreshing originality and a lifelike depth.

  Now regarding our two leads, Sam and Andrew. I was shocked at the effortlessness and comfort between them. At some point in the movie one of the two mentions how they've known each other only for four days, and I was surprised to realize that it was true. There are movies that you want the protagonists, who know each other for a short period of time, to be in love with each other but you don't necessarily believe that they would and then there is Garden State that you know that the protagonists, who know each other or a short period of time, would be in love.

  And at last, I have to say how fast the time flew by while watching his movie. Garden State was so interesting that I would look at how much time I had spent watching it and it would be 10 minutes and the next moment it would be an hour and the next the movie would be ending and it hadn't even registered in my mind that it was 1 hour and 50 minutes after the first time I sat down and pushed the play button. It has been a long time since I last experienced something like that and I'm glad Garden State came around to remind me of the feeling.

  Garden State is almost perfect, almost. Despite the fact that the movie was so interesting, fast paced and exciting, the first 10 minutes were a bit on the slow side. After that 10 minute mark everything is exhilarating and captivating, but for those minutes I didn't know what I was in for. I was scared that I wouldn't like it and be disappointed after wanting to watch it for so long (that didn't happen if you haven't figured it out already).

  Lastly, because the film was so strong throughout I was a little let down by the ending. I found that it caved into a cliché and it frustrated me since everything else was so innovating. I wish there was a different conclusion (even though I have no idea what I would have liked to have seen).

  In conclusion, Garden State is pretty amazing and if you find the start too slow paced, keep at it; you will be rewarded in the end.

Final thought: I was, definitely, in it.

Score:90%
Tomatometer: 86%


m.
Courtesy of
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Miramax Films

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