ONAT LOPERA

I had seen this movie displayed on the shelf before among other stuff while doing my usual routine; after renting movies, I go DVD-snooping. I can?t remember why I didn?t had a chance to look it up the net what is it about so I ignored it among other ?goodies?. And then there came Yahoo! Movies Recommends (see previous entry), I believed Yahoo!, grabbed the DVD from the most bottom stack and I wasn?t disappointed at all.

Garden State, starring Zach Braff (also the writer and director, directorial movie debut that is) and the gorgeous Natalie Portman, is about Andrew Largeman going back to his hometown for his mother?s burial and meets his old friends again after a few years.

I got hooked from the first scene! As Braff played this Lithium-popping twenty-something guy, it was weird and funny at the same time. As the movie progressed, I saw small ironic and funny visuals and conversations that would definitely tickle a movie-goers mind. Performances were all great especially Natalie playing Sam, the epileptic chronic liar but with most honest and kind heart. And I almost forgot about the soundtrack, it?s great also, carefully putting it on the right scenes, but it didn?t changed my life like what Sam said.

I never saw myself in a movie that much until this movie. The thing that made a dent to my mind is the way it showed the confusion of what to do next with your life after the long process of schooling and such, things like what to do, where to go, how to earn a living and all; that got me straight to the bones and straight out of my skin. And another is that life is random, always unexpected as shown through Large’s “journey” finding surreal things from some of the most unexpected places.

The movie is filled with honesty and realism that it exudes the phrase ?this is life? right in front of your face. Though I must say it is not for those movie fans that watch movies just for the sake of watching (looking but not listening, yeah you know who you are). Oh well screw that, if it rocks your boat then let it, I really don’t care. With great script, unpredictable plots, serious life issues and contemplations, funny scenes and quirky characters, this movie is a must-see!

And I ask you this: ?… now what?!?