7. Garden State
Written by, starring and directed by Zach Braff, Garden State is a quiet and moving reflection on fame and mental illness. Braffs character is having a breakdown and he is detached from everyone around him. Sam, played by Natalie Portman, helps him to re-connect. Braff directs the film in a way that really lets you feel and observe his characters alienation and detachment. This gives the film a lightly surreal touch and it is a testament to Braffs direction that he pulls this trick off so successfully. The movie also has a great soundtrack, with all the tracks handpicked by Braff himself. The soundtrack features The Shins, Zero 7, Nick Drake and one of my favourite songs The Only Living Boy in New York by Simon and Garfunkel. Garden State is downbeat yet somehow uplifting at the same time. It is strange and most of all wonderful.