Anna and I watched Garden State last night. I loved it. Zach Braff wrote, directed and starred in Garden State. He did an incredible job. He plays the lead as Andrew Largeman, a guy who returns to his home town in New Jersey for four days to attend his mother’s funeral. While this sounds pretty formulaic, the movie is everything but.
The people in the movie act incredibly normal. The plot doesn’t follow some sort of simple three-act structure. There are some pretty bizarre moments that just feel perfectly normal for that setting, and there are some really normal moments that feel completely bizarre to see in a movie. It catches you off guard.
Lastly, it’s got fantastic music. The song that ends the movie is “Let Go” by Frou Frou (a.k.a. Imogen Heap). I played her a lot when I was a DJ in Alaska. She’s a friend of a friend.
Go watch it. It’s refreshing to see movies like this.
Note: This is a rated R movie for language and a few “scenes” that might make some uncomfortable. It that’s you, then please consider that before renting it.
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Dude. This is one amazing movie. I love it. I think his inclusion of the hotel sex scene is gratuitous – but his vision and implementation was extrordinary. I hope he makes more films. The humor is so perfectly executed. And yes, the music is amazing… I’ve basically purchased the whole soundtrack one by one.
§ #1 By dano at 11:38am on March 23 2005
I fell asleep during it…
§ #2 By Matt Martin at 11:38am on March 23 2005
Music was good. Movie was boring.
§ #3 By Matt Hartgrove at 11:38am on March 23 2005
Garden State is an incredible movie. I absolutely loved it. I think it is refreshing sometimes to see a movie, simply because there’s nothing better to do (i.e. in Kuwait) knowing absolutely nothing of the film. I hadn’t even heard of it when I saw it sitting on someone’s bunk.
It is refreshingly real without being documentary. The characters are so perfectly neurotic just like you and I. I hope to see more of Mr. Braff’s work if it remains in the vein of Garden State.
§ #4 By Aaron at 11:38am on March 23 2005