Garden State

[matt35mm]

...my favorite of the year (Before Sunset)...

*High Five*

[ᾦɐļᵲʊʂ]

This movie was absolutely great.  

The cinematography was amazing.  Some of the lines were also written really well.

-----SPOILER------

I did not like the ending, however.  The fact that he was leaving was beautiful.  Once he finally felt something, and everything was understood, he left.  The audience should've had a sense of that.  A sense of accepting responsibility.  But instead, we're taught to go with our hearts, the end.  Also, the ending line reminded me of a knock off of Emily Watson's last line in PDL.  

Other than that, great movie.

[SHAFTR]

-----SPOILER------

.

I disagree with your thoughts on the spoiler.

[The Perineum Falcon]

-----SPOILER------

I did not like the ending, however.  The fact that he was leaving was beautiful.  Once he finally felt something, and everything was understood, he left.  The audience should've had a sense of that.  A sense of accepting responsibility.  But instead, we're taught to go with our hearts, the end.  Also, the ending line reminded me of a knock off of Emily Watson's last line in PDL.

The ending reminded me of Friends, maybe because the exact same thing happened.
And I was greatly disappointed by both of them. I wish Raechel had left, I wish Largeman had left. It just seemed that it would've suited the story or the characters better, IMO. I guess it would've felt a little more open-ended to me that way. The moments they spent with their other is just piece of their life, there's more for them to find and more for them to live for. But, as it stands now, they've seemingly found all they need, their story seems over. I guess that's really all that matters in a movie and the end of a series, but it left me unsatisfied.

[Ghostboy]

SPOILER

A perfect ending would have been:

a.) cut to black right after the push in on Large sitting on the plane

A more perfect ending would have been:

b.) cut to black right after the telephone booth opens and Natalie Portman looks up to see who it is.

[Raikus]

C'mon guys. Not every movie can be Before Sunrise/Sunset.

But I do agree with the fades. Except it should have been of her crying in the phonebooth before his reveal.

[diggler]

i cringed a bit at the happy ending. it seemed like a studio reshoot (even though i know now it wasn't).  however, i laughed harder at some of the scenes in this movie than i have in a long time(the flaming arrow scene had me on the floor).  many times a directors first film feels like a bunch of seperate gag scenes that are just strung together, and this film felt that way too, but i think braff did a good job of pulling it all together.

plus, you can't beat that method man cameo

[Mesh]

A:  No, my best compliment for Garden State is this:  I left the theatre excited at the thought of Braff making another movie.

C: How did The Shins change anyone's life?  Semantics to the rescue!

Here's a newsflash:  audiophiles, much like cinephiles, are prone to hyperbole.  "They'll change your life" is an enthusiastic way of expressing your passion for or attachment to a particular band, film, book, etc.  Rarely is anyone's life actually changed by a song...  It's a whimsical statement meant as an attempt to express the scope of your love for that song. And whether or not YOU like the Shins, you must acknowledge that there are some people who do.  I've met them; die-hard Shins fans exist.  And that makes that moment in Garden State a legitimate, credible moment.

A.  Yeah, I'm real excited to see him re-make About Schmidt for emo teens again.  Whoopee.

C.  Portman's character was obviously not a music moron.  She owned about a zillion albums on vinyl.  That moment is a) not credible because Portman would never have said a stupid thing like that if she was as knowledgeable about music as she was presented to be, b) annoying because she said it so sincerely; Portman, the actress obviously has no idea how real interaction between humans/music nerds actually happens and c) "New Slang" is nothing approaching a life-changing type song.  It's a gorgeous ballad about soured love and the author's desire to go back, but it's not earth-shattering.  It's not "life-changing."  It doesn't comment upon the themes/narratives of the film's characters either.  It's cool that Garden State/Braff decided to give The Shins such props, but it just didn't work at the cinematic/narrative/emotional/characterization level.  Sorry.

[Raikus]

It didn't work for you.

For you.

For you.

Seems to have worked perfectly fine for everyone else. And where is this audiophile memo that details how EVERY audiophile must react to certain bands/songs. Please PM it to me. I always thought it was rather subjective.

[Mesh]

It didn't work for you.

For you.

For you.

Seems to have worked perfectly fine for everyone else. And where is this audiophile memo that details how EVERY audiophile must react to certain bands/songs. Please PM it to me. I always thought it was rather subjective.

You totally missed my point.  Saying "This will change you life" is an idiotic cliche.  We're supposed to be sold on this quirky girl who uses idiotic cliches to describe music that doesn't even warrant the cliches' sentiment?

Also:  you don't have to remind us that we're dealing in opinions here.  That's assumed.  

Also: that other Shins song "Caring is Creepy" totally clashed with the onscreen activity as well.  Again, nice that Braff/the studio is behind the Shins but at least in, say, PTA or Wes Anderson, the music "works."

[modage]

you have to remember whether she's an audiophile or not, shes still a girl.  so i dont think it was too ridiculous for her to say this will change your life.

[Mesh]

you have to remember whether she's an audiophile or not, shes still a girl.  so i dont think it was too ridiculous for her to say this will change your life.

Wait, isn't she well into her twenties, though?

Anyway, woulda been more in her "quirky" character if she'd said "This'll change your life" and then played, like, Weird Al for him or some shit.  That I'd have admired.  This was just lame OMG! emo-teen hyperbole.

[Ravi]

A.  Yeah, I'm real excited to see him re-make About Schmidt for emo teens again.  Whoopee.

The shot of Braff in the empty white bedroom reminded me of Jack Nicholson sitting in the office waiting to go home.

GS is a good movie but it has its problems.  I think a lot of people here are treating it with kid gloves because it is a debut film by a young filmmaker and that's what most of us are or aspire to be.  I didn't watch the film keeping in mind that it isn't a studio blockbuster or even that it was a debut film.  There's nothing wrong with pointing out what's wrong GS along with what's right.

[Mesh]

A.  Yeah, I'm real excited to see him re-make About Schmidt for emo teens again.  Whoopee.

The shot of Braff in the empty white bedroom reminded me of Jack Nicholson sitting in the office waiting to go home.

Yeah, that and like, the PLOT are pretty damn About Schmidt.

1.  Dude is depressed.

2.  Dude's close relative dies, sending him on a far-flung and mildly hilarious "quest for self."

3.  Dude meets quirky people who remind him what "life's all about."

4.  Dude even sits in jacuzzis/bathtubs with women he's met.     Think about it:  Bates = Portman.  *Shudder*

4.  I say "This basically sucks."

[modage]

well if thats the case, then i dont think you're going to care much for Elizabethtown....

Hours after a ruinous product debut, suicidal industrial designer Drew Baylor learns of his father's sudden death. As the only son, Drew must travel to their small hometown of Elizabethtown, Kentucky to attend to his father's memorial. On the flight to Kentucky, Drew meets Claire, a quick-witted flight attendant, who helps him navigate the rough waters ahead and proves that amazing things happen when you least expect them.