It's romantic, it's a comedy, but it's not just another rom-com

Rating: 9/10 (4 January 2007)

If, at the end of a romantic comedy, you leave the cinema both thinking that life is wonderful and also wishing your cheeks didn't ache from laughing so much, you can't really ask for anything more. Garden State easily fits into this category, and in ambitiously taking on the jobs of writer, director and star, Zach Braff, of 'Scrubbs' fame, has succeeded with aplomb in creating a film that is both heart-warming and hilarious.
Although this is a romantic comedy, thankfully there's no room for the kind of schmoozing Julia Roberts and her collagen-fed pink pet slugs normally get up to, and in this respect Garden State is much more in the mould of the similarly excellent Lost In Translation. Meanwhile, Braff's comedy is very direct, so if you're not into simply smiling knowingly for two hours, don't worry  after all, you can't get much more direct than a guide dog humping someone's leg Along with Braff and his script, another reason to see this film and adore it is Natalie Portman. While playing the endlessly energetic and self-sure Sam, Portman also still manages to portray real sweetness and vulnerability, in perhaps the most polished performance of her career so far. Just how she was nominated for an Oscar for her role in Closer rather than for this comic masterpiece is a strange one.
Despite sometimes dealing with tricky issues, this is a truly excellent feel good film, which never feels contrived. While the ending may be a little sentimental, this for once doesn't seem too bad a thing, after the characters have earned your genuine affection. With the acting, the screenplay, and also the soundtrack all being of top quality, there is no reason not to see this film. So see it!