Film: Garden State (Zach Braff)
Not immediately obvious. I think I’m so predisposed to either loving or hating something in an instant, I find the middle ground hard to navigate. The cinematography of the opening scenes, and the soundtrack, excited me. A piece of dialogue half way through made me cry. And the end left me kind of disappointed.
In an attempt to gauge my opinion, I read a host of other reviews. Which didn’t really help. I disagreed with the IMBD reviewer who proclaimed “It is a film that speaks to an entire generation…those of us born in the early-mid 80's who are in our late teens and early twenties trying to make it by in a environment that seems all at once so strange and yet so familiar”. While I do, just, fall into his category, I didn’t feel particularly spoken to. Or maybe I’m just not as angst ridden as my contemporaries. At the same time, I found The Guardian's 2/5 description of a "moderately entertaining" (what, like an episode of Neighbours?), "gently self-indulgent" (didn’t do Kevin Smith any harm) “damp squib” unfair.
When it was good – the pool, the pet cemetery, the gas station gag – it was wonderful. Other parts were, dare I say it, originally quirky. Throughout there was a smattering of inevitable cliché, but considering it was ‘that guy from Scrubs’, giving himself the lead and simultaneously wearing the writer/director hat for the first time, it was refreshingly understated. The supporting cast was impressive, with particularly enjoyable performances by Jackie Hoffman and the brilliant Ron Leibman. While Portman, who I’d previously experienced in that Star Wars thing and – eek – Closer, was thoroughly cute throughout.
Braff proved his talents far exceed medical situation comedy, and with two lead roles currently in post-production it will be interesting to see his next step. I only hope that, while a voice over in Chicken Little might pay the bills, the lure of mainstream doesn’t mark an end to his writing career. [cough] Owen Wilson [/cough]. Indeed, while his protagonist was heart warming - Large’s “I’ll take a hug” to Olivia proved particularly endearing – it was, more than anything, an exhilarating screenplay debut.
The aforementioned embrace opened the floodgates to a barrage of physical contact, which for me became the theme of the film. I almost didn’t want them to kiss at the end, as I’d preferred to watch them cuddling throughout. As it was, the kiss was inoffensive and almost immediately overtaken by a huge hug. Nice direction.
Warm, fuzzy and overall pretty rewarding. With some beautiful dialogue. A second viewing would, I think, cement it firmly in my list of likes.
"You know that point in your life when you realize the house you grew up in isn't really your home anymore.
All of a sudden, even though you have some place where you put your shit that idea of home is gone.
You'll see one day when you move out. Just sorta happens one day, and it's gone. You feel like you can never get it back. It's like you feel homesick for a place that doesn't even exist.
Maybe it's like this rite of passage, you know? You won't ever have that feeling again until you create a new idea of home for yourself. You know, for your kids. For the family you start. It's like a cycle or something.
I don't know. But I miss the idea of it, you know?
Maybe that's all family really is. A group of people that miss the same imaginary place."
In an attempt to gauge my opinion, I read a host of other reviews. Which didn’t really help. I disagreed with the IMBD reviewer who proclaimed “It is a film that speaks to an entire generation…those of us born in the early-mid 80's who are in our late teens and early twenties trying to make it by in a environment that seems all at once so strange and yet so familiar”. While I do, just, fall into his category, I didn’t feel particularly spoken to. Or maybe I’m just not as angst ridden as my contemporaries. At the same time, I found The Guardian's 2/5 description of a "moderately entertaining" (what, like an episode of Neighbours?), "gently self-indulgent" (didn’t do Kevin Smith any harm) “damp squib” unfair.
When it was good – the pool, the pet cemetery, the gas station gag – it was wonderful. Other parts were, dare I say it, originally quirky. Throughout there was a smattering of inevitable cliché, but considering it was ‘that guy from Scrubs’, giving himself the lead and simultaneously wearing the writer/director hat for the first time, it was refreshingly understated. The supporting cast was impressive, with particularly enjoyable performances by Jackie Hoffman and the brilliant Ron Leibman. While Portman, who I’d previously experienced in that Star Wars thing and – eek – Closer, was thoroughly cute throughout.
Braff proved his talents far exceed medical situation comedy, and with two lead roles currently in post-production it will be interesting to see his next step. I only hope that, while a voice over in Chicken Little might pay the bills, the lure of mainstream doesn’t mark an end to his writing career. [cough] Owen Wilson [/cough]. Indeed, while his protagonist was heart warming - Large’s “I’ll take a hug” to Olivia proved particularly endearing – it was, more than anything, an exhilarating screenplay debut.
The aforementioned embrace opened the floodgates to a barrage of physical contact, which for me became the theme of the film. I almost didn’t want them to kiss at the end, as I’d preferred to watch them cuddling throughout. As it was, the kiss was inoffensive and almost immediately overtaken by a huge hug. Nice direction.
Warm, fuzzy and overall pretty rewarding. With some beautiful dialogue. A second viewing would, I think, cement it firmly in my list of likes.
"You know that point in your life when you realize the house you grew up in isn't really your home anymore.
All of a sudden, even though you have some place where you put your shit that idea of home is gone.
You'll see one day when you move out. Just sorta happens one day, and it's gone. You feel like you can never get it back. It's like you feel homesick for a place that doesn't even exist.
Maybe it's like this rite of passage, you know? You won't ever have that feeling again until you create a new idea of home for yourself. You know, for your kids. For the family you start. It's like a cycle or something.
I don't know. But I miss the idea of it, you know?
Maybe that's all family really is. A group of people that miss the same imaginary place."
posted by Shhh at 2:41 PM
1 Comments:
What was it about the ending that dissapointed you?
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