On Garden State

Garden State has its quota of tender moments, but it's its offbeat, darker elements that make it fresh and endearing. The film is the first-born baby of the 29-year-old Zach Braff who makes his writing and directing debut and also takes the central role. On this evidence, Braff, who until now is best known for his ongoing job as star of the American TV medical comedy Scrubs, is the next Ed Burns. Braff's future looks brighter though, as he appears stronger in all departments than Burns, who has failed to recapture the magic of his 1995 Sundance darling The Brothers McMullen.

One distinct advantage Braff has is his wonderful cast. Natalie Portman is delightfully efficacious as the bubbly screwball Sam. Her spirited performance is the perfect contrast to Braff's doleful Andrew Largeman. Almost inevitably for a young first time director, the temptation to indulge himself is rarely spurned and if any slight criticism were to be leveled at Braff, it's that at times his directing and writing is unnecessarily cute and clever. But it's a minor quibble at what is otherwise an impressive and promising introduction.

Andrew is a moderately successful actor in Los Angeles when, after nine years away, he returns to his New Jersey hometown to attend his mother's funeral. The trip forces him to confront his austere psychiatrist father (Ian Holm) who is responsible for Andrew's lithium dependency following a childhood incident involving his mother. Andrew also bumps into old high school friends including the abrasive Mark (Peter Sarsgaard). Andrew's medicated state has rendered him impervious to deep feelings, but having left his pills at home, his encounter with the warm and vibrant Sam has a liberating effect.

Their relationship imbues the film with its emotional core. Like two lost souls, Sam and "Large" connect immediately, their conditions (she's an epileptic) providing a unifying bond. Much of Garden State's appeal lies in the unconventional ways their romance evolves. The masturbating dog being but one example. This quirky sensibility extends to all areas, particularly the assorted oddballs that continually crop up. Garden State is inhabited almost entirely by eccentrics and nutters, with nary a normal person in sight. It's a mad world, but one that provides a touching and amusing getaway.