Good

Rating: 7/10 (2 May 2007)

It took me a while, but finally i got round to watching this movie. The DVD had been waiting on my shelf for quite some time and i'm not sure why it took me such a long time to actually put it in the DVD-player. I guess the fact that several people i've spoken to call it one of their favorite movies. That always raises my expectations, which is a dangerous thing. But the danger of disappointment can't keep me away forever.
Zach Braff is far from one of my favorite actors. I do enjoy "Scrubs" somewhat, but mostly because of John C. McGinley. And mentioning "Scrubs" i think that's the only place i've ever seen Zach Braff before. Or well, i might have seen him in other movies too but not so much that i would remember him. And that in itself says quite a lot.
While i find Braffs performance in "Scrubs" to be quite mediocre, he's a lot better in "Garden State". His almost childish looks and rather shy and meek delivery fits perfectly here. He's the man who left his hometown as a boy, who's had psychological (real or imagined) problems ever since he was a child, and who now gets the chance to make peace with his past. His cautious personality is easily explained by a life spent on mind-altering drugs. The cast surrounding Braff is solid though not spectacular. Sarsgaard and Portman perform well. The one that steals the show though is Ian Holm who dominates every scene that he's in, although those are few and quite far between.
The story itself in "Garden State" is not spectacular either. I guess that's part of the movies charm. It's a rather unpretentious drama with quite a lot of humor thrown in. The thing that i found most disturbing (and that lowered the grade by one point) is the ending. Someone wrote that it feels like the movie takes a different turn at the end, like the ending and the movie don't fit together properly. That's a good description because that was my feeling as well. Somehow the movie leaves the unpretentious past and tries to be some sort of "large-than-life"-drama in the last ten minutes. It doesn't go down well. Since it was entertaining until then i'm going to let it pass, but the ending was nevertheless a disappointment.
I rate this 7/10.