Mon, August 2, 2004
Garden State
If you're any fan of movies, you should see Garden State. It's this year's Lost in Translation. (At least, I think it is. I have no knack for these things; it quite possibly could mean nothing to anyone outside the 18-28 age range. But to me, clinging as I am to my status within that group for the time being, it was excellent.) Part of it is Natalie Portman. Half of it is Natalie Portman. In fact, the great majority of it is Natalie Portman. A lot of it is the script, delightfully penned and directed by Zach Braff of Scrubs fame. It's an intelligent script, full of emotional resonance and a few thought-provoking dialogue scenes that approach the Kevin Smith brand of detectably crafted language without going so far as to take you out of the moment. And, as a first-timer, Braff directs it deftly – even though you get the feeling he "learned" directing by plunking down on the sofa for a Coen brothers/Wes Anderson DVD marathon. (There are plenty of worse ways to learn, by the way. I can attest to the fact that paying USC to teach you is far less effective than Braff's DVD route.) But running away with the film is Natalie Portman. Which is fine by Braff as far as I can tell. It's the job she was hired to do. And, good God, does she do it.
The young woman is unstoppable. There's nothing she can't do. She's even great in Mars Attacks! which – as much as I love Tim Burton – was a pretty miserable ensemble failure. She's even great in Star Wars, although I'd be really fascinated to know why she chose to accept that part. Aside from that, I don't think she's ever taken a job that wasn't a perfect choice. There's a couple I haven't seen, but I've vowed to add them to my Netflix list and rectify that right away. (I rented Where the Heart Is quite a while ago, and I'm proud to report that she manages to ground the emotional story of that film in reality even while Ashley Judd and, yes, Stockard Channing are chewing the scenery like the catering tent ran out of biscotti.) Cold Mountain will be tough to choke down, but I'm convinced that it'll be worth it. Proudly, the coming attractions on Garden State informed us that she'll be starring with Julia Roberts in Closer later this year, which is great because together they have the greatest smiles in filmdom.
Portman has this amazing ability that transforms her into her character, Sam, in the most astonishingly subtle strokes. Sam is different from Natalie Portman, but only by a few shades; both are intelligent, giddy, and fun-loving. Sam seems a tiny bit more free-spirited, and has a slightly different outlook on life since she hasn't been a movie actress or Harvard grad. But the portrayal is uncannily separate from Portman as herself. It's a performance in every sense of the word: the movement of her body, her posture, her eyes, her elocution – all are shifted very faintly, almost imperceptibly. Watching Sam, it seems as though Portman has exercised some highly specific control over four or five muscles in her face that just alter the way she talks in the tiniest way. It's difficult to describe, but it's breathtaking to watch. Of course, she still manages to be beautiful – although in a "pretty" way, rather than her usual "elegant" way – and soulfully self-possessed. Something in the way she acts makes you feel the authenticity of every behavior, so that when Braff asks, in a moment of discovery, "Who are you?" her reply, "I'm your new friend Sam," hits you like a kick in the teeth. It literally knocked the breath out of me. It was like falling in love at first sight with a beautiful woman every day for five years, all compressed into one second. Pow.
Sam is one of those characters – and here is where Braff gets a lot of credit, because while Portman breathed life into her in a way that nobody else could ever imagine, he did make Sam up – who very simply change your outlook on life. I know people like this, and I'm eternally in awe of them. She doesn't go around making grand statements and gushing some sort of dogma; you just look at her and the way she thinks about things and the way she views herself, and you're changed. She's not entirely without self-consciousness – she hates watching a video of herself ice skating in a crocodile outfit – but she has this way of being that seems to ignore the fact that there might be any other way. It's inspiring. You get caught up in it. It's the kind of thing that made me love Dharma & Greg more than I probably should have (although it was still a great show). Natalie Portman also has approximately 19 muscles in each eyebrow. You could fill six or seven pages with a list of the things her eyes do between the time she's about to cry and the time she cries. Movies like this are unfair, because I spend the rest of the day in a funk, disappointed that Sam can't be real and I can't meet her.
Braff, of course, is also great. He doesn't give himself a whole lot to do outside of what we've seen on Scrubs – his character, Andrew, is less bouncy than J.D. but has a very similar comic delivery. The moments of introspection run deeper, but that's about it. Still, tremendous credit is due for the fact that he takes a largely morose and depressed character and makes it easy to feel for him instead of just being impatient. Supporting players Peter Sarsgaard, Ian Holm, and Ann Dowd also add to the unique landscape of Garden State.
Even though Andrew is depressed and adrift, plagued by family dynamics and medication, the film is ultimately hopeful. It implies that a change of pace and a shift in perspective can be enough to get us back on track even when we're overwhelmed. It has a simple, relatable voice, and acknowledges that there is humor everywhere, even in sadness. And it has Natalie Portman, which is really just about all you need.
Garden State
2004 · 1hr 42min · R
Metacritic · IMDb · iTunes · Netflix · Amazon
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Filibuster vigilantly 12.08.04
© onebee · all rights reserved
"michwagn" — Mon, 8/2/04 11:47am
Thanks for that! I am also totally in love with Miss Natalie and Johnny Scrubs, as I like to call Braff. I am really looking forward to seeing this, especially after the review.