2.5/5 Wish I Was Here Garden State is not a bad movie. It has a lovely soundtrack, a grounded sense of existential angst, and tons of twenty-something cluelessness. Braff’s newest project, fan funded through Kickstarter, lies in that same ambitious (but problematic) vein. But something about these movies turn me off. Let’s dive in and I will tell you why. Here, Braff plays Aidan Bloom, but he is basically playing Andrew Largeman of Garden State. He is ten years older, has two kids, a wife (Kate Hudson), and is a struggling actor, but the two’s core mannerisms parallel in more ways than one. The existential crisis here is catalyzed by an ailing father (Mandy Patinkin) and a failing career in acting. With pressure from his wife, his kids’ private school, and his bitter dad, Bloom must consider giving up his dream and giving in to a more conventional life. Boo hoo, right? In was in Bloom’s “dream” where I somehow lost my patience with Wish I Was Here. With so many real-world problems afflicting humanity, I find it hard to care much for an entitled thirty-five year old’s acting dream. Sure, it makes for an enjoyable 106 minutes of catchy tunes and quirky (mostly Jewish) jokes, but as a moving portrait of a man in crisis? I’m afraid I have more pressing things to worry about. Luckily, Braff’s cast is up to the task of bringing this material to life. Joey King (Fargo, The Conjuring) plays Bloom’s daughter Grace with a sharp understanding of the material that is impressive for an actress of her age. Her identity crisis in the film is twice as moving as her dad’s. Patinkin’s Gabe has an arc that is both emotional and relatable, while ‘The Big Bang Theory’’s Jim Parsons and Josh Gad show up occasionally for laughs. Braff, while the star of our show, is the least effective. At least, in my opinion. His performance was not bad, per se, but his overall whiney-baby demeanor just rubs me the wrong way. You can only listen to white-male-problems for so long before it begins to sound a lot like “the most annoying sound in the world” from Dumb & Dumber. Obviously there is market for Braff’s brand of troubles who is willing to pay for his movies; and I would not mind sitting down to watch another, but it is time for a dramatic shift. The soundtrack is the delicious mix tape of favorites you thought it would be, from Bon Iver to Bob Dylan. For some reason, though, it felt more forced this time around; less in service to the story. We get it, Zach. You have good tastes in music. The movie shares these problems. I understand that we all come to a crossroads eventually; but come on bud, everybody has problems. | Director: Zach Braff Starring: Zach Braff, Josh Gad, Kate Hudson, Mandy Patinkin Writers: Adam & Zach Braff |
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January 2016
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