Change Your Image
vivpickle
Reviews
Garden State (2004)
Saw it 2 weeks ago and am STILL thinking about it!
****SORTA-SPOILER COMMENT****
Great story. Great cinematography. Great acting (Natalie did wonderfully). AWESOME soundtrack... it was engaging, thought-provoking, sweet, very funny (with laughter from the audience even drowning out some of the lines in the movie-- so I'll have to see it again!)... a tremendous first film for Zach Braff... you can tell this was his "baby" and that he finally got to stretch his talent wings from Scrubs... Friends are wondering if it will be another Good Will Hunting when the awards come around... I don't know if I'd go that far... but it was very entertaining.
Couple of downsides, tho... Some of the characters seemed flat/very undeveloped (the Dad) and unnecessary to the story-line (Natalie's brother and the "jouster")... most bothersome was the ending -- which seemed FAAAR too cliché' for the rest of the film. I'm surprised that Braff went that direction-- and wonder whether the producers pushed for a traditional "happy" (and unrealistic) ending... I mean, C'MON!!! If he was flying out of Newark, how on earth could he find her in the baggage area that quickly??? Anyone ever fly out of Newark Airport???!!!
I would have preferred an ending that required the viewer to THINK and HOPE for the future of the characters... a'la Lost in Translation, if you know what I mean... Still, I can let that slide...
By far the best flick I've seen this year.
Iron Jawed Angels (2004)
Thank God for These Amazing Women
I *just* finished watching this on HBO and I am incredibly moved and grateful. Moved by a well done film-- but more so grateful for the sheer fact that these women existed and served and sacrificed for the benefit of women like me. Thank you to HBO for helping bring to life a part of our history that has been underrepresented in film... and for investing in a project that inspired me for all the RIGHT reasons. Kudos to the cast and crew-- how fortunate you must feel to have been a part of this.
Fathers, Mothers... sit down with you daughters and sons and watch this with them... as proof that EVERYONE can make a difference that is felt for lifetimes to come.
My Best Friend's Wife (2001)
Engaging but rough edges
Got a preview of this last night. Enjoyed it. Was definitely engaging and kept me wondering how it would pan out in the end. Acting was a bit uneven from some of the actors-- especially the wives. Their performances weren't very convincing. John Stamos did a fine job-- maybe b/c his character wasn't too far of a stretch??? Daniel London could have been a bit stronger... came across as whiny at times... and still couldn't believe that he and Stamos would have remained so tight after all that time... the connections between the couples didn't seem "close enough" for them to consider what they were considering.
Dialog was well written-- tho' a little stilted on delivery... definitely several laugh out loud moments. Extraneous characters were just that... very extraneous and didn't offer too much value (esp. the two guys from the office... what WERE they doing in this film???)... I know it's an independent film, but thought the editing was a bit chopping and the sound quality was just fair... still... with all that taken into account, it was a good flick-- thought provoking, stereotype reinforcing to some extent (good? bad?) and one that would DEFINITELY lead to some very lively discussion afterwards, esp. if you see it in mixed company (such as with your best friend and his/her hottie husband/wife).