re:mote voices

Title: Garden State
Cast:Zach Braff, Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard, Ian Holm
Director: Zach Braff

Zach Braff writes, directs and stars in Garden State – graduating from cinematic bit parts and TV roles. A lead which puts him opposite Natalie Portman and Peter Sarsgaard. Braff plays the part of a struggling actor who hasn’t been home in 9 years. With the death of his mother however he returns, and in the process faces up to his past. Particularly his relationship with his father, who has been feeding him drugs for most of his life. At his most vulnerable he is on the one hand encountering old friends and comparing life histories, while on the other he meets Portman, who seems to be someone he can relate to.

Through the course of the film Braff is coming off the drugs, which at times recalls scenes from Gilliam’s adaptation of Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas. This gives the film a hallucinogenic feel at times, which combined with the journey into peripheral territory give the film a certain quirkyness. Something which is always a fine line to walk. Given the territory of self-discovery and understanding ones consciousness/environment, which to a degree Garden State does, comparison can be made to Huckabees – particularly as both hit the cinemas so close together. However while Huckabees left me feeling a little ambivalent, Garden State seemed to have more charm, and for me was genuinely funnier.