Garden State

Garden State gets it. Not since "The Graduate" has a movie nailed the beautiful terror of standing on the brink of adulthood with such satisfying precision.

Writer/director Zach Braff has threaded a powerful and intelligent personal story through a genre all too rare today – romantic comedy.

Though too dear at times, overly sentimental in its conclusion and sporadically overreaching to be the voice of a generation, it's otherwise emotionally spot-on as it follows Andrew back to his Garden State hometown for his mother's funeral.

It's a hilarious and heartfelt ode to twentysomething angst. Braff has himself a winner.

When Braff keeps the tears and the kookiness in check, he takes us into some unusual, interesting areas of the human psyche. And makes us laugh a good deal while he's at it.

Although Zach Braff's promising writing-directing debut is a bit affected, few actors with behind-the-camera aspirations succeed as well as the Scrubs star does with this melancholy romantic comedy.

Mr. Braff's idea of self-discovery is my idea of narcissism.

One of the most beatuiful movies I know. The contrast from the rather is really great, the characters are strong and believable. I fell in love with Nathalie Portman immediately because she really turns the overall mood of the movie around.

Visually, the movie fantastic. It moves in a really lovely way. The characters are interesting, and while not typical in movies, they are people I have known. I appreciate this greatly. I love the story and the adventures. I love the writing. I think the moments of terror and sadness are placed well, as are the absurd and silly. The soundtrack is a winner overall. I think that it's a trendy, but solid. Life is a mix of happy and sad, big and little issues. I do think this is a sort of "Graduate" sort of move, and people of this age are kinda all about themselves. That's okay. This is about someone literally waking up. He is coming to grips with his own feelings and dealing with them ...himself. I like that he has to trust other people in the process. That is really what this movie is centered upon.

Happy Reunions. Garden State Braff's debut directorial of a major motion picture may not be a home run, but is surely a surprising packet of delight that pleads your to keep a broad smile plastered throughout this sweet mellow journey. Arguably an introvert, revisiting his hometown that mends the broken things, is not a fresh take on drama, but the rudimentary process no matter how gullible, elevates the theme to a bright sunny day. The shady past and social conflicts between friends and family remains mediocre throughout the course, the only overwhelmed experienced to this stay, is Portman in her chirpy persona that keeps her emotions on the surface. Using his strength of the star cast to his best, Braff keeps her on the lead no matter with whom the screen is being shared. The suave and soothing chemistry of theirs along with smart funny conversation keeps arguing back to all of our complaints. After which, the textbook structure and the overridden concept barely matters, Braff makes sure you too, as an audience, communicate with the gravitas of leaving your hometown. Braff as a performer suits in this low lazy boy costume fabricated for humor with aces held in his pocket. Portman, the trump card of this low budget drama soars above all, **** the expectations and setting a new benchmark on a rom-com genre for her. The tightly packed screenplay that flows smoothly in its first act is jaggedly on mark that leaves a long lasting impression, from a hip and happening party to the first meeting with Portman's, each tiny detail factors in majorly on storytelling. Addition to that, the humor never feels stretching the case or even an extra bit of the narration, it all feels like an essential part of the act. Garden State is a merry state, this teenage flick raises the bar to survive as an independent family drama.

I wasn't even sure if I should write this review as I struggled to come up with words to describe it. On the one hand there are some good things about it, quality moments where you really empathise with Zach Braff's character and his feelings. The movie really well captures the numbness of depression. And on the opposite spectrum I really liked Natalie Portman's character as she brought a lot of energy to it. There are some funny scenes and interesting characters but after a while the quirkiness becomes old and stale. Just being random doesn't make it funny. But there is a profound emptiness that comes upon me when I think about the Garden State. It left me feeling nothing, as if I had forgotten half the film and now struggled to remember what was good about it. The film's better moments don't come together to a satisfying whole and the plot just feels unfinished. Overall this is by no means a bad film. But it's one of those movies that you watch when there is nothing better on. It's satisfying as long as you don't expect too much.

One of the worst films I've ever seen. It lacks any conscious effort whatsoever, with simple "moments" to disguise the apparent lack of original ideas. The story is trite and boring, with the worst version of a protagonist and a Manic Pixie Dream Girl as a romantic interest. The acting is poor, and no one seems genuinely interested. The music selections and the directing is good, not perfect but good enough for an independent film. Everything else falls short.