Poorly written and directed, but there some gems in this stale donut

Rating: 4/10 (10 May 2010)

Let me start this review by saying: yes, I own this movie, and yes I've watched it a lot for a movie that is kind of terrible." Before I get into the poop of the film...It's important to point out, Peter Sarsgaard and Natalie Portman are the saving grace for this film, making the best of what they were given. There are some genuine moments worth seeing Things I hate in this film: Dialogue repetition...This occurs throughout the film and totally kills what are supposed to be sobering moments at the end of the film. For example: Zack's character Large has his first cry after telling a story about his mother and his first notion of love. Had potential, but instead of being unable to finish his story because he starts crying, which would be honest and real, Zack wrote in the soap opera inspired "...and I knew...this is love...this is love" and delivered it with proper soap opera cadence. There's another example immediately after where Sam similarly repeats Large's line with a similar effect. This occurs very frequently throughout the film and ruins the above tub scene. There is a lot of unnecessary dialogue as well that serves no purpose and for Natalie Portman's character (Sam) contradicts her development. An example of this comes from the bedroom scene...instead of going from talking about religion to burying the hamster, Natalie has two "blurt out" lines...one about not "making out" which makes her character suddenly seem extremely immature and naive and the other the "Bleep, Blop, Bloop" thing she does comes off as a desperate attempt to make her come off wacky and "free spirited" (I hate that phrase) when throughout the rest of the film she is timid and submissive.
Zack Braff's vanity comes into annoying affect a number of times, as well. He mugs the camera way too much in this film...which makes for a very uncomfortable moment for Natalie Portman in one scene. Pay close attention to Natalie Portman following the kiss on the crane/tractor...Zack goes for an awkward neck hug and then mugs for the camera in an awkward "I'm looking off into the distance introspectively" way, all the while Natalie's head is wrenched back and her face is straight up in the rain. He comes off very self centered in his photography throughout this film.
The ending is the biggest mood killer. All through the movie there is a setup for a nice dichotomy between Act 1 Large and Act 3 Large that is just wasted. After the awkward ellipsis speech (which was appropriate for the moment), Large leaves to get on a plane back to LA. But, instead of showing the antithesis of the opening dream (panic on a crashing plane as he sits stoically dazed versus normal plane scenario as he sits crying, anxious and unsure) he runs back to a hysterical Sam (keeping in mind they've only known each other for only FOUR DAYS), retracts his speech and ends the movie with the stupidest line I've heard in the longest time: "what do we do?" which he repeats...see above. HATE IT!!! I must preface my final gripe (there are a lot more, but there is a word limit), with the fact that I'm an academic biomedical research scientist and I teach a lecture on CNS depressants. My final gripe is that it is ridiculously obvious that Zack did absolutely no research on CNS depressants (anti-anxiety/mania and epilepsy meds) or ecstasy (MDMAs...he act like he had a few bong hits, not a tab of ecstasy). Let's hit the big long list that the neurologist rattles off. If he had been taking Lithium and only one of the downers (a benzodiazepine) it'd been appropriate, but any more than that he'd be dead from respiratory failure. A plot hole comes out of this, as well. His dad is his psychiatrist, but he hasn't been home since he was sixteen, yet he has continually been able to renew his monster list of meds without updated evaluation for at least a decade (that wouldn't happen...prescription, especially for abuse potential drugs, expire). Next, given the list of drugs and how wiped out he is at the beginning of the movie, when he quits his meds he should be going through some wicked withdrawals...in the least he'd be extremely anxious/irritable, he'd have crazy bad insomnia (so he shouldn't have been sleeping at all through the movie) and probably some muscle spasms...at the worst he'd have severe muscle spasms and seizures. And for Sam...she wouldn't have been able to drink if she was on epilepsy meds.
Instead of this...I recommend Last Life in the Universe, 3 Iron or Three Times for films with a similar feel, but that are better shot, directed and more honest in their writing.