Wish I Was Here is a film that’s easy to recommend. Though the humour and dialogue occasionally fall short of the mark set by his previous effort Garden State, Zach Braff’s Kickstarter-funded comedy-drama is well-made and feels, in places, sincerely heartfelt.
Like in Garden State, Braff handles both the director’s chair and lead role as struggling actor and husband Aidan Bloom. The film’s primary narrative centres on the important decisions – both personal and professional – Aidan faces when his father (Mandy Patinkin) is diagnosed with cancer and can no longer afford to financially support the enrolment of Aidan’s children at a private Jewish school.
There are a lot of great performances here, with Aidan’s daughter Grace (Joey King) and wife Sarah (Kate Hudson) stealing more than a few scenes. A number of Braff’s friends and former co-stars (notably Jim Parsons and Donald Faison) make brief albeit fun appearances. Josh Gad also offers a strong contrast as Aidan’s brother Noah, and while Braff’s own performance is quite strong, its similarity to his previous roles may irk some audiences.
Where Garden State was about unravelling the layers people build to protect themselves emotionally, Wish I Was Here seems concerned with characters who struggle to realise their own potential before it’s too late. It’s a nice evolution of the themes Braff dealt with in Garden State and the scoring in the film really helps it carry the appropriate emotional weight. That said, the strongest moments and metaphors sometimes fall flat due to an oddly timed gag or weak dialogue.
Zach Braff might have made his dream film, but it’s still one with strengths and weaknesses like any other. Though occasionally self-indulgent, Braff’s filmmaking style remains compelling, unique and, at its best, genuinely resonant.
4/5 stars
Wish I Was Here opens in cinemas Thursday September 11.
