Braff is Brilliant!

Rating: 10/10 (29 December 2008)

Garden State was a complete shock to me, as I have only seen Zach Braff in Scrubs, I only saw him as a comedic actor, and have never really been interested in seeing any of his films. But this one was recommended to me by a friend, so I gave it a whirl and was surprised that not only did I enjoy the film, it has become one of my all time favourites.
Written, directed and starring Zach Braff, the story revolves around Andrew "Large" Largeman, a twenty-something jersey boy living in Los Angeles who is an actor/waiter. When he was nine he accidentally crippled his mother and has been on the drug lithium ever since, causing him to feel no real emotion at all. After hearing of his mother's death he decides to go back for the funeral. Upon arriving back in Jersey he meets Sam, a pathological liar who is quirky, smart and unlike Andrew, completely open with her emotions, and the two opposites instantly have a connection.
Garden State doesn't follow your typical Hollywood love story (One of the reasons I love it), it has real depth, the characters are real, for instance Sam is not your day-to-day love interest, who is blonde, big chested and were's skimpy clothing. She has problems like the rest of us, dealing with seizures, and being a pathological liar. The location is also a pretty dreary place, where not a lot seems to happen, but thats what seems to give it character, it's unique.
Each shot is unique, all relevant to the plot, the dialogue flows beautifully, overall Braff's directing debut was a superb watch and I highly recommend you take the time see it.