Cast: Zach Braff, Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard & Ian Holm
Director: Zach Braff
Rating:
Enetertainment Quotient: 30%
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 102 min
MPAA rating: R for language, drug use and a scene of sexuality.

Synopsis:

Andrew Largeman (Zach Braff) is staying away from his parents because of guilt that he caused harm to his mother when he was a kid. He is on medication now and he does not like his psychiatrist father. He is forced to go back to his hometown to attend the funeral of his mother. There he gets a chance to meet all his childhood friends and connect with them. He also meets Sam (Natalie Portman) who changes his life.

What is special in this film?
Natalie Portman is extremely good as the high-spirited girl. Zach Braff is good with his emoting. He is also the director and writer of the film. Hence, you see a very good portrayal of the main lead because he understands the character better than anybody else does.

What I did not like?
These kinds of films will not appeal to Indian audiences as there is no connectivity between the theme of the film and the mind set of the current generation.

The scenes I liked

1. When Sam and Andrew share some original moments with each other in her room.

2. The scene in which Andrew’s aunt makes a shirt out of leftovers of Bathroom wallpapers. The shot showing him standing with those cloths on with the backdrop of the bathroom wallpaper is good. It could be a nice idea for Telugu film art directors to conceive a set like this that gels with the costumes.

3. The scene in which Andrews’ friend (a grave digger) returns his mother’s necklace.

Tailpiece:
The background score is ‘Vakratunda Mahakaya’ in a flight scene. It feels nice when we hear Indian slokas, mantras, chants and alaaps in western films.