What happens when a 29-30 year old guy decides to take a big step (well, bigger than he was expected to) - thinking of ways to write a story which is weird and cute (but definitely not soppy/sloppy), then plans on enacting the main lead (of a half-dazed, perpetually confused guy) and finally takes a further plunge by stepping behind the camera in order to direct the whole show?
The year is 2004 and Garden State comes into existence.
We get to see a movie that is fresh, riveting and light-hearted. We also get to see Zach Braff in a generous dose after the TV show “Scrubs” as he takes on multiple roles as writer/director/actor. Braff makes a brave attempt at different cinema – not so much due to the treatment of the story, but more because of the engrossing script. This difference calls for a classification – and I would classify Garden State into a “nutty-witty-weirdly romantic” genre (as opposed to the more usual form of mushy, nauseating romance).
Let’s focus on Mr. Braff :-
As a writer, Braff manages to churn out a likeable plot, with situations not remotely guessable but strangely identifiable, save for the end, which is predictable. Apart from that, it is a pretty interesting story – more of a thread, actually. The bigger picture is in the background and the foreground only deals with happenings in the life of a man within a week and how his life changes due to acts of fate (no, not faith!)
Andrew Largeman (Braff) is an actor in L.A. and comes home after a gap of 9 years to attend his mother’s funeral. He comes home (in New Jersey) to a distant and cold father, a forgotten house and a bunch of old friends. He is in a numb, lithium-induced state as prescribed to him by his father who is also his psychiatrist. He attends his mother’s funeral and sets off to spending the rest of the week, roaming around town, visiting old friends and going to doctors for his “cure”. At a clinic he bumps into Sam (Natalie Portman), an epileptic who is a compulsive liar. She is a chirpy girl who blabbers like there is no tomorrow, and mostly it is hard to isolate the truth from her winding tales. So Andrew and Sam come to be together and meet over and over again and they click from the word go. The chemistry here is so apparent, that it brings a smile on your face just seeing these different-natured people gel so absolutely. Together they sizzle, and yes, it reminded me of the Shahrukh-Kajol pairing. (I took off on a tangent there, but well, I hope you get the point). Speaking of Shahrukh Khan, there are glimpses of the Khan in Zach Braff’s acting and I’m not sure if that is a plus.
There are many flaws in the story, but the script hides most of them. The biggest flaw lies in the discontinuity of the story, and like I already said...it is hardly a story. It is only a thread that Braff picks up on. The dialogues, however, are charming and hide all that is loose-ended by making the disjointed and independent incidents somehow seem related. There are many incidents thrown in just for the sake of wit, and could have been avoided.
As an actor: It must be quite apparent by now that Braff wrote the script with himself in mind. So he fits the role and performs very well too. As I said before, there are some scenes where his expressions match those of Shah Rukh Khan, and yes, those were the very scenes that made me wince. Most of the time though, he gives an aptly restrained performance and looks like the “numb” guy that he is supposed to be. Also, I like the look of Braff – he looks kissable, huggable, and all that…and you so want him to fall in love with Sam. There are some instances where he makes you laugh in that corny way, but most of the time he is genuinely funny just because of his dialogue delivery. No one but Braff could have been Andrew Largeman.
Matching him in the lead, is Natalie Portman and she is simply excellent as Samantha or Sam. Her expressions and body language are perfect for the role, and she is so convincing as the strange and weird, though lovable girl-next-door. Again, there are numerous little situations where she brings you to the point laughter. The other worth-mentioning performances are those of Peter Sarsgaard (as Largeman’s grave-digger friend) and Ian Holm (his father).
As a director: I will let Braff walk away with a lot of credit. This is because for a debutante, I thought he was very good. Besides, with so much load on his shoulders he managed to make a convincing film overall. The problem only lies with a few badly directed shots. For example, at his mother’s funeral the conversation between him and his friend is shot clumsily as the camera shifts to and fro focusing on their faces for a long stretch. Overall, he is original and very comfortable throughout.
Garden State is the kind of film that you might like a lot or it might not strike a chord in you at all. Despite all its flaws, I loved this movie because of the sheer chemistry between the lead pair and also because of the unique plot, with its witty dialogues and uncanny characters. The basic premise of the movie is that life is like an infinite abyss and through unpredictable twists and turns it unfolds at its own pace. You don’t know what/who/how you might encounter and how it/he/she may change you forever.
Worth a watch for its dialogues, Natalie Portman and Zach Braff, its music and for its overall charm!