Slow Paced, but Time Well Spent

Rating: 8/10 (29 January 2005)

I wanted to see this movie primarily because I enjoy Natalie Portman's performances. She once again shows that she is a very talented and charismatic actress.
I like plot and character-driven movies and this most certainly qualifies. I also like movies with quirky characters. Like "American Spendor" and "Accidental Tourist", this has quite a few. The plot is also original and compelling. The main character, played (and written and directed) by Zach Braff, at age 26, is spending his first time without psychotropic drugs. He gets to start living in a world where he feels his emotions. It would be easy to go over the top with that kind of plot idea, but this movie plays it out in a very subtle manner. It is well-written and all of the acting contributions are strong.
The only complaint, and it is minor, is that the pace of the movie was a little slow. There was probably a scene or two that could have been eliminated to get us through the movie a little quicker.
In all, this is a very enjoyable film. I recommend it to those who like the plot and character-driven movies.