Well, that was overhyped.
Jun. 9th, 2005 09:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
yendiA co-worker tossed an expiring Blockbuster freebie coupon our way, so we rented Garden State.
Consider me truly underwhelmed.
Part of that, of course, is that this is a tiny movie that was held up as the motherfucking indie holy grail last year, when it really should have just been treated as a small indie romantic comedy. But even then, the first twenty minutes or so are painfully boring, recycling the same awkwardness/disassociativeness that we've seen in hundreds of other movies. It didn't become watchable until Natalie Portman came on screen, partially because her character was a lot more interesting than Braff's (who, wearing the actor/writer/director hats, seemed to do too much to avoid overshadowing the other characters, a critical rookie mistake). Then again, Portman's worth watching in anything*. Likewise, Peter Sarsgaard steals a good chunk of the movie as well. But although there were plenty of good moments, the movie felt disjointed, and not in the way Braff intended (as a metaphor for Andrew's disassociation with society and life in general).
And don't get me started on the worst-trained guide dog in the history of guide dogs. Pointlessly stupid scenes like that throw me completely out of a movie.
*Disclaimer: For these purposes, "anything" does not include any film directed by, written by, or otherwise affected by George Lucas.
Consider me truly underwhelmed.
Part of that, of course, is that this is a tiny movie that was held up as the motherfucking indie holy grail last year, when it really should have just been treated as a small indie romantic comedy. But even then, the first twenty minutes or so are painfully boring, recycling the same awkwardness/disassociativeness that we've seen in hundreds of other movies. It didn't become watchable until Natalie Portman came on screen, partially because her character was a lot more interesting than Braff's (who, wearing the actor/writer/director hats, seemed to do too much to avoid overshadowing the other characters, a critical rookie mistake). Then again, Portman's worth watching in anything*. Likewise, Peter Sarsgaard steals a good chunk of the movie as well. But although there were plenty of good moments, the movie felt disjointed, and not in the way Braff intended (as a metaphor for Andrew's disassociation with society and life in general).
And don't get me started on the worst-trained guide dog in the history of guide dogs. Pointlessly stupid scenes like that throw me completely out of a movie.
*Disclaimer: For these purposes, "anything" does not include any film directed by, written by, or otherwise affected by George Lucas.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-10 12:16 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-10 12:28 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-10 12:37 pm (UTC)