Garden State
Pretty good offering from the Zach Braff triple threat (actor, writer, director). He does a decent job as the over drugged (lithium, zoloft, prozac) struggling actor, Andrew, returning home to a dead mother and cold father. But -are you ready for the best part?- Natalie Portman rocks the house as the neurotic spaz. Honestly some of her greatest work, and the scene when she introduces Andrew to her hamster obsessed family is perhaps the best moment of her entire career. We all know I'm a sucker for N.P. but this is the real deal. The only downside of the movie is that it turns into an awkward romance, clearly borrowing from The Graduate, instead of the coming of age film I (and perhaps Braff) wanted it to be. (B+)