Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
and then you realise you're smiling..., 21 Jul 2006
This film suprised me. I went into it knowing very little about the story but thinking it may be interesting to see what Zach Braff had to offer behind the camera (usually a good way of seeing how their mind works). As a consequence of this I starting watching it with a blank mind and no pre-conceived ideas. In retrospect, I think this may have been what they were aiming for as I was in pretty much the same mental state as Andrew (Zach Braff) is in the film - a numb zone where the world seems to be going faster than him, he feels he is always one step behind but doesn't have the energy to get out of the rut. The fact that his psychiatrist father (Ian Holm, I am a big fan!) is the one who's been dosing him all through his childhood is a nice twist and adds an interesting, if slightly underused, subplot.
As the film progresses over the last couple of days before Andrew takes off for pastures new, he stops his meds and this is where the direction and acting come into their own. It would be too easy to ram that fact down the viewers throats, but the very gradual re-awakening of Andrews senses and the bizarre journey he takes to find a suprise present for him with his girlfriend (a very talented Natalie Portman - George Lucas, you should be ashamed) and old friend (an equally excellent Peter Sarsgaard), which include perfectly timed comic moments which you can recognize from your own experiences (the guy in the hardware store anyone?) are dealt with at a strolling pace. Sometimes this pace of enlightenment is difficult to get right, but as the film wends its way from one well shot scene to another, you realize that you've been sucked in on his mental and physical trip and that you are really enjoying the ride. His journey really ends 15 minutes before the end of running time with a moment of release on the edge of a bottomless abyss (it makes sense in the film, honestly) and as I watched this, I realized that I was smiling a big, deep, warm smile. Films like this don't come along too often and when then do they blind-side you in all the right ways. Excellent acting and direction all round, so get yourself a big cup of tea, some chocolate digestives, then settle back, watch and enjoy!
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34 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"You are like so freaked out right now", 1 April 2005
Since we watched "Leon - The Professional", my wife and I have been dazzled by the performances of Natalie Portman, and continued picking up several movies just because she performed in them. When weighing whether or not to try this film, I knew that it was not the kind of story I liked, but decided to give it a chance anyway because Portman was starring. The overall result was not bad at all, since even though I did not feel strongly identified with the characters, I got to see an interesting story that is mostly driven by its well-written dialogues.Andrew (Zach Braff) left his parents' house several years ago and traveled to the other side of the country to establish himself in Los Angeles and start an acting career. He was relatively successful at first, but things cooled down and now he is working as a waiter in a Vietnamese restaurant. He has been taking medication for his depression for a long time and lives a vacuous existence. Everything is about to change though, because his father, with whom he has not talked in a while, calls him to reveal that Andrew's mother died. Now he has to go back home to New Jersey and face the world he left behind, including his friends and family. In the process, he meets Sam (Portman) who has issues of her own; but the relationship that begins delivers a thoughtful view of what it feels like to be lost in life when one becomes an adult, and how sometimes we need to shake things up to start moving forward again. Zach Braff undoubtedly meets expectations in his debut as a director and writer, with an engaging script and a well-filmed movie. His performance as Andrew is inspired and completely believable; but he is assisted in this aspect by the excellent Natalie Portman, who has an uncanny ability to portray extroverted girls that speak their mind. These two guys are complemented by an array of colorful characters that add spice to this film. The result is a production that is filled with funny situations and that has a considerable degree of emotions involved. Even though it was not a film that touched me, I can appreciate its quality, therefore I recommend it.
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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great debut film from Braff, 24 Sep 2006
This is a great film, especially considering it's Braff's first attempt at writing and direction. It has a slightly melancholic undertone to it which tends to make the relationships and storyline that little bit more poignant. It also has some funny laugh out loud moments, so you get a good mix of emotions in the one film. What's more it has one of the best soundtracks I've heard in a film for ages. Well worth giving a go!
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