Near Perfect

Rating: 8/10 (23 October 2005)

"Garden State" is the kind of near-perfect treasure of a movie that you want to hug and never let go. Not only is there unmeasured poignancy in the journey Large goes through to reclaim a hold on his life, and a transcendent love story between Large and Sam, and a wholly unpredictable plot trajectory to what occurs, and how things happen, but, technically speaking, one would never be able to guess this is a low-budget independent feature. The use of songs, much like 2004's "The Girl Next Door," are a vital character in and of themselves, with choice tracks by such important artists as Nick Drake, Coldplay, The Shins, and Frou Frou, the latter of whom's "Let Go" masterfully underscores the sublime final scene. Likewise, the resplendent, classy cinematography by Lawrence Shin (2004's "Club Dread") attracts and fulfills through its meticulous use of long shots and different film speeds; each one evokes a different mood, and each mood aids in putting the viewer right alongside the characters in their various surroundings. "Garden State" is a beaming, unforgettable little masterpiece, creatively alive and emotionally intimate at the same time. For Zach Braff, this is just the first of what now promises to be an encouraging film-making career, and for 2004, this is easily one of the year's finest motion pictures.