Wish I Was Here
For me, one of the gregarious over sights of my cinematic tastes is that I don't like Garden State. On paper, it would seem like my perfect kind of movie. After all, it's an indie flick from Scrubs actor Zach Braff that deals with the innards of grief and identity alongside Oscar winner Natalie Portman. Oh, and it has tonnes of critical acclaim. See it's the stuff of intrigue that has me "ooooh"-ing like a child at a firework display. Which is a great metaphor because I don't like those either. There was something disconnected about Garden State that made whatever praise I had for the film wane away. It was almost, well, pretentious and I couldn't grasp what it was trying to translate to me. Disappointingly, I switched off and no matter what I do, I simply don't enjoy it.
The opposite can be said for his recent effort Wish I Was Here.
Thanks to a successful crowd funding campaign, Braff's second effort saw him play Aidan Bloom, a struggling actor who is supported by his wife's meaningless data entry job. His father Gabe pays for his two children, Tucker and Grace, to go to good Orthodox Jewish school. Unfortunately, his father's cancer has returned and the rest of his money has is going on treatment. Pulling his children out of school, Aidan decides to home school both of them until the end of summer and within that, he learns the importance of family, life and dreams.
A lot of the criticism thrown at the effort is the in originality of the plot and overall product. True, Wish I Was Here could be shelved with all the other Indies including Garden State that all go, "hey, like, man it's about finding yourself after the death of a loved one, you know?" Heck, I could list thousands just like that.
But it is acted, directed and written with such passion and resonance that it is hard to criticise it for being unoriginal. There is some beautiful depth here and spirals out of all actors and impacts viscerally. The ideals and elements of learning through living connect in a electrifying and engaging way. To simply damn it for walking cinematic paths that have previously been trodden seems facetious at best. Wish I Was Here is an enthralling exploration into artistic struggles, death and reconnecting with loved ones and yourself through seeing the intricate colours of everyday life around you. It's a delicate balance between who you were, who you dreamed you would be and who you are - and realising that it is ok to fail as long as you dream and hope, love and transform with each failure.
Braff is clearly extrapolating poignancy within himself and journeys with Aiden in one of the best performances the actor has given. Alongside him, Kate Hudson, Josh Gad, Mandy Patinkin and the young Joey King and Pierce Gagnon explore the strife that dying presents them. The writing gives each of them personality that they travel down with this aching element of feeling lost or abandoned by the world. This is a vehicle for those who woke up one day like; "oh. This is it." and reaffirming your identity whilst allowing your children to find theirs.
Wish I Was Here is sublimely done and enriching too, it may scream sentiments that have thundered since the dawn of cinema. But it screams with such passion and heart that it is impossible to ignore. Braff's openness and honesty here makes a beautiful watch. And sometimes, you don't have to say anything new. You just have to tell it with spirit, power and emotional intelligence.
Which Wish I Was Here does.