"Nothing short of stunning. A mind-blowing debut that provides an existential insight into tragedy and aimlessness while never taking itself so seriously that it can’t offer up an original and timely belly-laugh. "
Some movies just have it. We can argue and speculate about what 'it' is until we've stripped it down to some tangible element or technical quality. You could write a book about why one film had it (and they've done it many times over.) But we don't need to do all that. We just need to know one thing right now: does this movie have 'it?'
Zach Braff of television's 'Scrubs' fame makes his directorial debut in 'Garden State,' the story of an over-medicated, struggling actor who must return home to New Jersey after the accidental death of his mother. The film, also written by Braff, is a slightly off-balanced commentary on the realities of finding yourself when you've never even had the chance to get to know you.
Braff portrays Andrew Largeman with such understated apathy that we immediately recognize the void of existence within him. More than that, we care. The cause of Largeman's torment is slowly unraveled over the course of the film, peeling back the layers of emotional baggage and stunted maturity until a real, suffering human is revealed. Braff pulls this off with uncanny skill, so subtle that it's not until you think back on it that you recall seeing the changes in the performance.
Assisting with Largeman's journey is Sam, the quirky spirit who speaks her mind with pathological results, played by the beautiful Natalie Portman. Though she deals with her own unique character flaws, she and Largeman unite as misdirected kindred and slowly work to heal the life-long wounds each has had to endure. Portman displays the humor and boisterousness that we knew she was capable of since 'The Professional' and haven't really seen since "Beautiful Girls' (sorry, 'Star Wars' fans.)
The key to such heavy-handed drama is in Braff's directing. He manages to balance the painfully realistic heartbreak of two wayward spirits with magnificently timed hilarity. The humor isn't thrown in for cheap or tawdry laughs, but keenly crafted so as to establish this real but just off-kilter world the characters inhabit. Whether it's the goofy MILF-lover in a suit of armor or the perverts checking out hotel clients through peepholes, the derangement of the comedy is subtly Shakespearean in some ways; like a farce wrapped in a tragedy (or vice versa).
Aside from a story that instantly engages, Braff crafts a visual canvas that makes us think he's been doing this for a lifetime already. Borrowing from several of the best sources, he blends a variety of editorial and cinematic techniques to bring the picture to life. While Braff's forlorn expression is enough to cement us in the scene, he doesn't stop there, daring to add a unique color scheme or backdrop - such as the medicated depressive lying in a barren, all white room. He even manages to multi-task these elements as when we see the stoic character wearing a shirt that blends him perfectly into the flowery wallpaper behind him. This simple shot serves as both the metaphoric state of Largeman's existence as well as just a great sight gag.
What probably enthralls most here is the fact that the melodramatic nature of the film is never overused and never exists for its own sake. The drama truly does reveal itself organically out of the story and the directing. It is never sappy or self-absorbed. Even when the characters sometimes wander into a 'woe-is-me' soliloquy, it still comes across naturally, as if these in these character's state they might really be saying these things without venturing into tongue-in-cheek exaggeration. As Largeman and Sam grow closer at a beautifully realized and naturally delivered pace, they are ultimately confronted with the reality that love, no matter how strong, must also exist in a world where people have obligations, careers and responsibilities. Then, like in any good romantic film, the characters throw caution to the wind and let life unfold as it will. This is a great example of how Braff caters to the audience without insulting their intelligence.
And so here we have the true moral of the movie - that finding yourself is a difficult journey, and if you've found someone that can stand by your side along that journey, there's no force in the world powerful enough to stand in your way.
What is 'it?' 'It' is that unique combination of elements that come together to form something magical. Whether it be charged atmospheric particles that form the Aurora Borealis or the wit, drama, humor that combine with gripping writing, stimulating directing and absorbing acting for the little film with a heart. 'Garden State' is a unique gem that will undoubtedly become a classic and casts an entirely new light on the talents of Zach Braff. If you want to know what 'it' really is, then don't read or try to analyze it, just go see this film. You'll get it.
Movie News
4 Comments
0 Comments