Charming little movie

Rating: 8/10 (25 October 2006)

I didn't quite know what to expect of this movie..a comedy, written and directed by Zach Braff, who I previously only knew from the atrocious "Scrubs" sitcom, shouldn't really amount to much, right. Fortunately, I was presently surprised.
"Garden State" is at is heart a very simple boy-meets-girl story, and there really isn't much to the plot, but it's delivered in a very refreshing way.
First of all, the actors all do a wonderful job. They all put in wonderfully subtle and believable performances and really make you care about them, even though some of them really have a quite limited part. It's somewhat of a shame, since most of these characters are interesting enough to want to get to know them better. Fortunately, Natalie Portman more than makes up for this in a very charming performance.
Next, it's one of the most uniquely funny movies I've ever seen. It's definitely not a movie that has you constantly rolling over the floor in laughter, but it will constantly catch you by surprise with some really unexpected and surreal jokes. It might not be humour for everybody, but I definitely liked it.
Finally, it's a wonderfully atmospheric movie. The excellent soundtrack and the beautiful cinematography both come together well to create a movie that's very pleasing to the eye and the ear, and basically just puts you in happy mood.
"Garden State" might not be a movie that will be remembered in half a century...it's too quirky and unassuming for that. But taken at face value, it's an extremely well-made, wonderfully creative feelgood movie **** out of *****