Does Zach Braff wish he hadn’t made this Kickstarter project?
When Zach Braff’s father is diagnosed with an untreatable cancer it spurns an unrest in his current aspirations as a largely failing actor. With the help of his wife, children and reluctant brother he attempts to find himself through sci-fi dreams, Jewish teachings and long lost memories.
Zach Braff was hot on the heels of Veronica Mars’ successful Kickstarter campaign with Wish I Was Here and after a year and half we can watch the result. The film carries the same melancholic vibe as his 2004 film Garden State, but unlike that, which contained Braff as a depressed and medically sedated young man, this sees Braff’s character Aidan as a failing actor and family man in his thirties. Unfortunately this means we get to see Aidan looking lost and feeling sorry for himself for near on two hours, but amazingly Aiden doesn’t bring out any convincing emotional response. Perhaps that’s just because I can’t shake Braff as the character. But Aiden is desperately selfish; when told his dad has cancer it seems to affect only Aiden and although this could be an intriguing path to take it just doesn’t lead anywhere at all. His choice to be a failed actor is also questioned throughout the film but his response is boring and repetitive just like his character.
However on the other side of this is almost everyone else. In particular his wife Sarah played by Kate Hudson and Gabe played by Mandy Patinkin. Hudson brings a heartbreaking screen presence to Sarah, even when she’s cuddling Aidan or struggling with her own life choices and even in silent moments her sadness and determination can be seen and empathised with. Patinkin brings his usual reserved demeanour to the role of Aidan’s father, which suits his caring but distanced parenting style and again an empathy with the character is easily created with the viewer. If anything, these character triumphs show Braff’s ability to write and direct characters but perhaps removing the morose lead character played by him would be a way to move his writing and directing career forward.
The film itself is directed beautifully and the science fiction element is a great visual stimulator if not a restricted tool as an insight into Aiden’s character. His brother’s genius is briefly mentioned with a point of view overlay of information as if someone was playing a first person shooter but this isn’t used in more than ones scene. Braff makes interesting choices with these devices but fails to give them true worth to become more meaningful.
Towards the end of the film one of the characters tells Aiden, “If there’s a next time I’ll do better.” Perhaps Braff is already thinking the same.
Author – Matt, Cardiff store
