Magnificent Simplicity - A "call" for life.

Rating: 10/10 (26 May 2006)

Garden State has really surprised me. For me, this is almost a master-piece. The film bring us such subtility, care and simplicity for subjects that are so hard for us, in all parts of our lifes. The things that happen, the themes, the way that the film deals about all those things, with such knowledgement and simplicity, provide us laughs and tears at the same time. All the symbolism and metaphors behind the film are so magic that everyone who sees it start enjoying it. The film is subtle, charming and happily human at the same time.
Garden Sate show us the fears that we have when we talk about happiness and how those fears can simply paralyze us, ours feelings and dreams. It make us think and reflect about the individualistic life that "we take" in the current contemporary society. The human been, always "linked"/close to the material values, forgot that before the "have", has the "been". This relation is fundamental for the psychological and physic formation of everybody. The film show us exactly that, that we must have a"structure", a family to live well, to have feelings and dreams.
Andrew Largeman (Zach Braff) is not some guy who lives, he only survive. He preferred to scape from his tragedies and emotions, to not have to confront them, living in a "induced coma", free of any feeling, because of the anti-depressives. The film, basically, inquires us if it worth living without feeling.
Other "strong point" of the film is the performances and the characters. Natalie Portman is firm and light, strong and weak, sad and happy at the same time. This mix of feelings made her performance so brilliant and magic that we can't stop looking and appreciating her. Her character (Sam) is very important, because she show us that the beauty of life isn't in the "value things", but in the little and simple things of our lifes. Zach Braff it's also brilliant. His "timing", his tone, his simplicity, all mixed up, provide us a simple but strong and charming performance. Congratulations for him: Besides being such a great actor, he proved that he is also a great director and writer.
For me, that's a magnificent, brilliant, wonderful, beautiful, simple and strong film. You can not miss it. It will, at least, make difference in your life, give you hope and, who knows, transform your life.