State of Mind
Aug. 29th, 2004 12:20 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lillibetTonight Jason and I went to see Garden State. It had been recommended to me by a couple of friends--actually, by two people I would never have guessed would like any of the same films--so I was intrigued. It made an interesting counterpoint to Riding in Cars with Boys, which really got to me.
Not that I didn't find Garden State affecting, but it didn't hit home in quite as depressing a manner. Perhaps it was the tone--very calm, with a lot of silences, rather than the frenetic wordiness of RICWB.
Zach Braff did a fine job with the role, but I just failed to find him engaging, which might be attributed to the disconnectedness he is displaying. In many ways, it's a similar role to that of Bill Murray in Lost in Translation, but I found Murray's portrayal of dissociation more sympathetic, somehow. Kudos for the screenplay, however--it managed to be both specific and universal in the way that the best indies hit so well.
It was great to see Natalie Portman doing some real acting again. In a lot of ways, this role is very much like the kid she played in Beautiful Girls, right down to the ice skating. She was quirky and honest and open and lovable--I wish Lucas would let her show some of that as Amidala.
I found Ian Holm sort of distracting. Perhaps because this role is so minimal and hermetic, it's hard not to see him, rather than the character. Jason commented afterwards that he kept thinking "Why, it's Mr. Bilbo!" but I find the role that springs to mind is of the priest from The Fifth Element.
The real find of this movie, for me, was Peter Sarsgaard, playing the stoner gravedigger, Mark. He was charming and driven and lame and loving and cruel in ways I found very familiar and convincing. I'm looking forward to seeing him in Skeleton Key (which I'm gonna have to see because that's the movie that was filming all over New Orleans when we were there and why Kate Hudson was at dinner with us one night).
The one question I have is: does every circle of slackers have a multimillionaire who lives in a huge, cool house and buys the drugs? Is this the next movie stereotype, like the gay neighbor?
Not that I didn't find Garden State affecting, but it didn't hit home in quite as depressing a manner. Perhaps it was the tone--very calm, with a lot of silences, rather than the frenetic wordiness of RICWB.
Zach Braff did a fine job with the role, but I just failed to find him engaging, which might be attributed to the disconnectedness he is displaying. In many ways, it's a similar role to that of Bill Murray in Lost in Translation, but I found Murray's portrayal of dissociation more sympathetic, somehow. Kudos for the screenplay, however--it managed to be both specific and universal in the way that the best indies hit so well.
It was great to see Natalie Portman doing some real acting again. In a lot of ways, this role is very much like the kid she played in Beautiful Girls, right down to the ice skating. She was quirky and honest and open and lovable--I wish Lucas would let her show some of that as Amidala.
I found Ian Holm sort of distracting. Perhaps because this role is so minimal and hermetic, it's hard not to see him, rather than the character. Jason commented afterwards that he kept thinking "Why, it's Mr. Bilbo!" but I find the role that springs to mind is of the priest from The Fifth Element.
The real find of this movie, for me, was Peter Sarsgaard, playing the stoner gravedigger, Mark. He was charming and driven and lame and loving and cruel in ways I found very familiar and convincing. I'm looking forward to seeing him in Skeleton Key (which I'm gonna have to see because that's the movie that was filming all over New Orleans when we were there and why Kate Hudson was at dinner with us one night).
The one question I have is: does every circle of slackers have a multimillionaire who lives in a huge, cool house and buys the drugs? Is this the next movie stereotype, like the gay neighbor?
