Under-appreciated Gem

Rating: 9/10 (14 February 2005)

I must say that from the moment I saw this movie's teaser trailer I was quite intrigued. It's rare for a teaser trailer to intrigue me like this one did, but it's probably even rarer for a movie to go beyond the expectations its trailer set up for it.
The story itself is deceptively simple enough being about a young man who comes back home after a long hiatus to his mother's funeral. He subsequently begins to reconcile his past while learning what it means to live and feel again.
This movie has some genuinely inspired moments, but is primarily the piece it is because of the acting it contains. Zach Braff, Peter Sarsgaard, and Natalie Portman are all great in their respective roles. Natalie Portman especially so.
This is one of the few movies this year that I truly connected with. All I can say is that, if you know what it's like to feel like you're always having to be someone you're not, then this movie just may be for you too.