A touching piece of work.

Rating: 9/10 (15 February 2008)

Zach Braff, the lovable Dr. Dorian from Scrubs, shows his true talents in this remarkable indie film from 2004 that is hopefully the first of many from this talented writer/director. Braff does a great job of pacing the film and balancing each scene with moments of dark humor and touching dialogue that focuses on life and the unhappy moments that make it what it is. The script is very well done, although a few scenes could have been cut in my opinion. The acting is terrific, with Natalie Portman giving the best performance as a bubbly, energetic girl who shows up in Braff's life and tries to lure him back into the human race after being distant for so long. Indeed, many scenes effectively show the loneliness and distraught that Andrew Largeman and many of us go through. Perhaps it isn't an ideal ending, but it works for me. It is touching, warm, and it gives hope, which is what we all need after going through tough times. In my opinion, Braff is a genuine talent and this film shows his vision perfectly. If he can continue to make films like this, Hollywood will be better off. Films like this say something about human emotions, situations, and ultimately, life itself. That is what films were intended to be and I hope more like Garden State come along soon.