Review of Garden State

Garden State: Messy, but Satisfying

Garden State is essentially a romantic comedy - a type of film that I usually shrink from. In this film's case, I found myself altogether captured by the realism of it all.

The movie follows Andrew, a struggling actor living in L.A., who travels home after years of silence to attend his mother's funeral. While at home, he meets up with childhood friends in his small town, attempts to salvage his severly torn relationship with his psychologist/father, and meets a quirky woman whose loving personality encourages him to rethink his current state of affairs.

While I did mention I was captured by this film, I admittedly felt it lacked completeness. Certain facts seemed to be mentioned purely to move the script along, and then never mentioned or brought up again. In other words, it is difficult to grasp just what this film is about and what message it is trying to send. Is it merely a love story? Is it a film about family and illness? Is it about reconcilliation and coming to terms with where you came from? The film never fully explains this - but then again, is life ever fully concerned with one idea and one message? Should a film have to stick to one message? Or, one major message with other meanings scattered within?

At the end of the film, while I did have my doubts, I decided that I was satisfied, but not without a few qualms. Certain areas were traveling into cliche territory - but of course, life does contain a few cliches.

And if anything, the soundtrack is wonderful. Whatever flaws there might be in this film, Garden State surely leaves an impression on the viewer.

7/10

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Added by Charis 1 year ago on 16 August 2008 09:36