Garden State

Rating: 9/10 (22 May 2006)

Garden State is one of those rare treats  an independent film that is not immersed in its own ego, and doesn't feel the need to show off some great new artistic effect to show you how clever it is. It is actually a very simple film; nothing complicated, nothing too showy. The reason this film works is the same reason that all films should work  an excellent script and strong performances all round. It needs nothing else, because these two facts alone raise it above most of the independent film scene's best, let alone the limp-by-comparison Hollywood efforts.
The story revolves around Andrew Largeman (Zach Braff of TV's Scrubs fame), an actor from Los Angeles who returns home after nine years to go to his mother's funeral. Andrew has been on medication since he was 10 to numb his emotions, after a childhood accident. As he leaves his medication behind, he finally begins to show some true feeling for life as he revisits old friends and meets Sam (Natalie Portman), a free-spirited woman who leads Andrew to reconsider whether his life is as bad as he thought.
The three main cast members  Braff, Portman, and Peter Sarsgaard (who plays Andrew's friend Mark)  all excel in their roles, without a flaw in sight. The biggest surprise is Natalie Portman who, after her emotionally-dead acting in the Star Wars prequels, shows what a great acting talent she is. All the characters are utterly believable, and this is helped by a script (also written by Braff) that is full of little quirks, yet also heaps on clever observances on real life. It also contains some razor sharp comedy and surrealism (a knight at the breakfast table, for one), that shows Braff as a man of many talents, able to infuse a serious story of rediscovery with quick bursts of humour.
Garden State also looks amazing, with great cinematography which gives the film its atmosphere, mixing colours to portray the blandness of Andrew's LA life with stronger down-to-earth tones which makes Andrew's journey seem that much more realistic to the audience. We cannot help but be carried along with him as we await to see what results will come of him meeting so many people without his medication affecting his emotions. This is coupled with easily the best soundtrack of any film in 2004; it lifts the atmosphere up even higher, as it is not relegated to the background like many scores are, but instead is always present in the audience's mind. It is almost as if the soundtrack is another character in itself.
If there are complaints to be made about the film, it is that towards the end it seems that the moral of the story  that life is what you make of it  is hammered home a little too forcefully. Also Ian Holm, although excellent as Andrew's father, doesn't really have a big enough role, and we are left wanting to see more of Andrew's relationship with him.
But overall, Garden State is a very accomplished debut; a heart-warming drama that captures your attention from the word go.
Rated: 9/10
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