Sunday, August 22, 2004

MOVIE - GARDEN STATE - Review Rating $$$$$ $$$1/2 (OUT OF 10) STARRING - Zach Braff (Andrew Largeman), Natalie Portman (Sam), Peter Sarsgaard (Mark), Ian Holm (Gideon Largeman), Ron Leibman (Dr. Cohen) & Method Man (Diego). DIRECTOR/WRITER - Zach Braff (debut, star of T.V.'s Scrubs [NBC]) If you were thinking about not going to see Garden State because you think its just another romantic comedy you are making a big mistake. Garden State is a brilliant, quirky, comedic ode to life's struggles that just happens to include an offbeat PG rated romance. This is a date movie the Trailer Park Boys would enjoy. The real beauty of Garden State is its ability to repeatedly succintly summarize life's numerous trials and tribulations in fresh and hilarious ways. The film is smart enough, for the most part, not to flog any one joke for too long. Along the way you'll meet a host of characters you've encountered in one form or another unless you've led a very sheltered life. And unlike Napoleon Dynamite you'll be laughing with these characters as opposed to at them. The audience I watched the film with roared with preserve pleasure throughout the film. Garden State falters near the very end, as it tries to meaningfully wrap up its various themes, but what has come before is so rich and original that this lapse is forgiveable. Do yourself a big favor and go see Garden State. You'll be laughing all the way home. Running time - 109 minutes Alternative Reviews: Roger Ebert's Review Peter Travers / Rolling Stone Review Rotten Tomatoes Reviews 6:24:11 PM     |

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