Garden State

Zach Braff has got it in him. Writer/director/actor. Not too shabby, especially when he does all three at once in Garden State. The Scrubs star showed the world he was capable of making a funny, sad, honest film. Braff's story is nothing new; a boy meets girl, they connect, argue and love each other. We've seen it before, but that isn't the point. It's in the how that makes this worth watching. The characters, played by Braff and Natalie Portman, are interesting and therefore intrigue the audience. We want to watch them grow and change. Their love gives us hope, and all without being too sappy. But it is also quietly funny. Choosing the straight-faced-no-emotion route, Garden State surprises with its humor. Did you just watch an insightful bit of character development or a joke? I'd like to see what else Braff has to offer, and hopefully he'll have another script to share with the world soon. Plus, he has good taste in music, so he can just go ahead and write the soundtrack into the script.

Genre - Comedy (3.25)

Screenplay (4)
Acting (3)
Production (3)
Directing (3)