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Garden State – Review

30 April 2005 No Comment

Andrew “Large” Largeman (Zach Braff) is a moderately successful actor in Hollywood that returns home after nine years to attend his mother’s funeral. He also tries to avoid his father because of the immanent confrontation as to why he left home. While in “Garden State” (New Jersey) he keeps running into old acquaintances with strange lives. He also meets an eccentric, fun and life altering experience of girl named Sam who changes his life in four days.

GARDEN STATE is an art house movie that really should have a mainstream release because it’s deep without burning out brain cells and actually speaks to the age group that goes to the cinema. 

The humour is so off centre sometimes it borders on you asking “What the hell?” for example, the cameo by METHOD MAN and his role in the movie definitely calls for a “What the hell?” but it works. 

Peter Sarsgaard (who starred in SHATTERED GLASS) is excellent and definitely someone to keep an eye on. Zach Braff’s performance, direction and acting seems to falter at times but it comes together to make one of the best films to come out this year. Natalie Portman is well cast but always seems to play the role of a nymphet that comes into a man’s life and changes it for the better. This is not a complaint, merely an observation because she brings life to her role and is a joy to watch on screen. All in all a well cast movie, with excellent comic timing and a tender soul.

If you’re in your twenties, do yourself a favour and go watch this movie. It may or may not change your life but it will make you smile and one can never have too many of those.

CAST: Zack Braff, Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard, Ian Holm, Jackie Hoffman, Jean Smart and Ron Liebman

DIRECTOR: Zach Braff

RUNNING TIME: 109 minutes

AGE RESTICTION: 13 LS

GENRE: Romantic Comedy Drama

RELEASE DATE: 3 December 2004

RATING: 9/10

“A Film From This Generation That Actually Speaks To This Generation”


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Review by Punjabi_Goth for Africasgateway.com

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