A Walk In The Metaphorical Garden

Rating: Null/10 (13 April 2008)

'Garden State' is a triple achievement for Braff. As writer, director and actor he is nothing short of superb. This is one movie that speaks to and of people of my generation. The film has a heart, the characters are very relatable and it boasts of so many memorable moments such as Sam taking Andrew to her room and telling him to do something unique, Sam doing a tap dance and the three standing at the edge of an abyss and screaming (note the brilliant cinematography in this one scene). It's these little moments that beautifully stand out. 'Garden State' tells a simple story and it is Braff's wonderful storytelling that keeps the viewer involved. The dialogues are funny and the characters already say a lot with less words. Performances are solid. Braff is totally different from 'Scrubs's Dorian. Acting and directing couldn't have been easy but he makes it seem otherwise. Peter Sarsgaard proves to be a chameleon actor and does a great job. I have never been a fan of Natalie Portman and I haven't liked her in any of her films (that I'd seen) with the exception of 'Cold Mountain' but here she took me by surprise as she's excellent as the vivacious Sam. I hope she does more such good work as she has shown that she can indeed act. The rest of the actors all look comfortable in their parts and do well. Soundtrack deserves a mention as we are presented with some moving songs by various artists. In a nutshell, 'Garden State' is a small movie with a big heart. It is uplifting and brings a smile with its subtlety (even the serious moments are toned with humour).