A Garden State of Mind

I don't have much to say about Garden State. I liked it, didn't love it. There's a particular sense of humor at play in the film that I enjoyed, and it conveyed that odd feeling of not being able to go home again well. However, I just couldn't get involved emotionally and the characters and story fell flat (regardless of comparrisons, this is no Graduate or Harold and Maude - something the auteur readily admits). Some people seem to really like Natalie Portman's performance - I found it a bit irritating (and I really like her as an actress). I will say that Zach Braff is a very talented man, who's as strong behind the camera as he is in front of it. I'd like to see him direct somebody else's script - or collaborate on a script with a more technically proficient writer (maybe even Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence).

And thanks to the good people at Tagline, I've discovered Mr. Braff's blog. It's a bit heavy on the promotional side and I could do with less effusive thanking of his fans - though it's clear it comes from a sincere place. Like his character on Scrubs, he appears to be a smart, funny and all-around good guy. Good for him.