| Overall Grade: |
A |
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| Story: |
A |
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| Acting: |
A |
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| Direction: |
A |
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| Visuals: |
A |
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It's been a while...
by Kyle Garret (movies profile)
Jul 20, 2007
18
of
22 people found this review helpful
It's been a long time since that's happened to me.
I went into Garden State excited and not the least bit wary. It looked like a movie I'd enjoy, but I was concerned that it would be heavy handed, that it would have these grand symbolic scenes that would never happen in real life. The clips of Zach Braff wearing a shirt with the same print as the wallpaper, while funny, worried me, because it's the kind of coincidence that shows the machine at work. The scene from the trailer of the guy in a full suit of armor concerned me. The little scenes that were meant to seem unique -- and they did -- worried me because they also seemed like they were going to be forced, created out of a sense of symbolism more than any organic progression.
I was wrong to have been worried.
And, believe it or not, both of the scene I mentioned above are explained and actually have legitimate reasons for existing.
I nearly cried while watching this movie.
Half the theater did not move as the credit rolled.
I walked into the lobby of the place I work after seeing the movie and a co-worker looked and me and then asked me if I was okay.
This movie was that effective.
It was everything I hoped it would be. The characters evolve over the course of the two hours. Seemingly meaningless details in the first half of the film become important in the second. The writing is sharp and clever, but never pretentious and always natural. There's ONE scene that I can quibble with in that it's obvious it was set where it was for a reason and it's kind of hard to explain why it was set there aside from saying it looked good. But that was ONE scene.
Those not already in love with Natalie Portman should be prepared to worship her by the time the movie is over.
And the ending is perfect. PERFECT.
I loved this movie. I've been in a mood since walking out of that theater and I only hope I'm out of it by the time I see the Village tonight; I have to try to be social then. |
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