By Thomas Chau in New York City

I have to be honest: I have never really liked any of Natalie Portman’s movies. I have a quasi-acceptance of “Star Wars: Attack of the Clones” being a decent picture and I love “Mars Attacks!” but Natalie’s role in that one is so limited that I don’t really consider it a Natalie Portman movie. Films like “Beautiful Girls,” “Anywhere But Here,” and “Where the Heart Is” just aren’t meant for guys like me.

But if you read my interview with writer/director/star Zach Braff on Friday, you’ll learn that I think that “Garden State” is one of the best pictures of the year and I am proud to admit that Natalie Portman is part of the reason why this picture works so well.

Natalie plays Samantha in this film about a mid-twentysome struggling actor named Andrew Largeman (Braff) who travels back to his hometown in New Jersey to mourn the death of his mother. Lost and separated from society, his peers, and his family, he finds new meaning in life when he meets an energetic girl who pushes him to see things in life a different way.

I loved Natalie’s portrayal of Sam in this movie and absolutely fell in love with her character. Below is what Natalie had to say about her role in the film. And yes, of course, I threw in some “Star Wars” questions for her as well.

Q: So how did you get involved in this project?

NATALIE: They sent me the script and I thought it was such a fun character to do and [she] doesn’t really hide anything. Then I saw Zach’s short film and I met him and he was wonderful. If it’s bad, it would be three bad weeks and it would be over quickly. If it’s good, then it would be wonderful. But it was so much fun.

Q: I read that Zach wrote the character with you in mind?

NATALIE: I don’t believe him. He says that but I don’t believe him.

Q: Is it a flattering thing if someone really did that?

NATALIE: Oh totally, that’s really flattering. It’s a flattering thing to say but I don’t think it’s true. I happen to have insider information now from knowing him so well about his real celebrity crushes and it’s not me.

Q: Is there much of you in this character?

NATALIE: Zach will tell you that I am the character but I’m not at all, I don’t think. Obviously you put a lot of yourself into everything you do but I feel that I’m a little bit more inhibitive than she is.

Q: Are you more truthful than she is?

NATALIE: Yeah, I guess. (giggles) This is a stupid story: They spelled ‘hamster’ wrong on the hamster box. They spelled it with a ‘p’ and I’m real anal about spelling and no one on would believe me that ‘hamster’ doesn’t have a ‘p’.

Q: When you looked at this character, how was she different from other characters you read in other scripts?

NATALIE: She’s just not reserved in any way and for someone like me, as an actress, my whole life is trying not to become other people. She’s someone who has no possibility of being anyone other than who she is. That’s just the only way she knows how to be is herself and that’s it. There it is and it’s all open and out there. It’s pretty exciting that prospect of being completely free and open and not trying to be a certain way but letting it all out.

Q: Both you and Zach worked with Woody Allen. Does Zach share any directing similarities with Woody?

NATALIE: No, they’re very different. Zach’s much more hands-on and talks to you a lot more. He’s more social than [Woody]. You become friends with Zach and that’s how he directs you: as a friend. My experience was Woody Allen, and maybe it was me being 14: I didn’t really think he knew who I was when we were working together. I think he said maybe two words to me while we were filming and was very abstract while directing.

Q: Was it like working with a first-time director like Zach? Do you bring a lot of experience to the table?

NATALIE: Yeah, I’m definitely like an old hag. He was so good. I didn’t feel concerned that I would have to step in and save the day. He really knew what he was doing and it was so impressive. He was so confident without being overbearing or a control freak or obnoxiously obsessed with the work. He really created such an incredible atmosphere on set and really knew what he wanted.

Q: You guys seem like you have such a great repertoire on screen. Was there anything funny that happened behind the camera?

NATALIE: When we were shooting that pool scene, we shot it at this woman’s house and it was a mansion in New Jersey and they chose it because you could see the New York skyline. When we got there, it was the foggiest day of the year and it was the day that they paid for. So obviously, we just had to go with it and you couldn’t see any of the skyline. We were only letting people use just one bathroom downstairs in the house because they didn’t want people going all over. It was a 50 person crew using one bathroom and by midnight, ‘cause we started shooting at 7 P.M. and went through morning, [the bathroom] was disgusting and woman was like, “We are stopping shooting. There is [poo] in the bathroom.” So Zach had to deal with her and directing and finish the scene in one night.

Q: Does it help that all of you are in your 20s to do a movie like this?

NATALIE: Yeah, there’s a great energy on the set because everyone was working on it - from the DPs, to the hair and make-up people, to the wardrobe, set people and PAs - were in their 20s. When you’re not paying anyone anything, it’s people wanting to be there and are passionate about film and about this film in particular. So it was a really great energy and I think it really carried into the film. There’s a really loose energy to it.

Q: What do you think about this film saying something about our generation or the state of our generation as well?

NATALIE: Well I think our generation, in our country right now, are really lucky. A lot of us are living in very comfortable situations. There’s a lot of options and opportunities and it’s indulgent and spoiled to complain about having all that choice. It’s the scariest thing in the world to have every choice because you make one choice, but you want to make the choices that will lead you to a place where you will change the world. Everyone’s trying to find their place and their unique spot, especially after twenty-some years of just trying to fit in and conform to everyone else. It’s that time where you ask, “How am I different from everyone else?” You want to accentuate your difference and your uniqueness.

Q: Is it a relief to do a smaller project like this in between Star Wars movies?

NATALIE: Yeah, it’s really fun to work on something that is really just a passion project that everyone wants. You don’t get any disgruntled workers! On a lot of big movies, there are a lot of people are like, “Ugh, I have to come to work again today.” This is the type of thing where everyone’s all geared up to start and create and do something together. Also, it just brings everything back to its basic elements. It’s not about big sets, or special effects, or how much money you’re making opening weekend. It’s about making something that you’re all creating together and people will enjoy. It’s about people.

Q: Are you going to look for smaller kinds of films after Star Wars or would you look for another franchise?

NATALIE: I don’t know. I don’t really look for stuff. I’ve really liked to do things that I haven’t experienced before and learn new stuff and develop and obviously I had such a wonderful experience doing a small film like this, small meaning in budget and scale, and not in meaning or entertainment value. I’d certainly go for other independent movies and going for choices.

Q: Have you finished work on “Episode III”?

NATALIE: I finished principal photography last summer and we’re doing reshoots this summer.

Q: Is it really going to be this dark film that we’re all hoping it will be?

NATALIE: I haven’t seen it and it’s very hard to tell when you haven’t seen the film yet.

Q: Once the reshoots and pick-ups are done, are you going to be happy to have that behind you or are you going to miss that experience?

NATALIE: You know, it’s great. Every time something finishes, as we all know, there are always beginnings. It’s always nice to move on to something new, especially if it’s been a big chunk of your life. Also, every experience changes you and moves you into a difference place and so I will look back on it fondly.

"Garden State" opens in theaters in New York and Los Angeles on July 28th.