I Heart Huckabees
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Movie Reviews of I Heart Huckabees
Movie Review: Out-Coening the Coens...or, How to Make a Neo-Screwballer
Summary: 5 Stars
Here'a a guy, David Russell (director), who is not afraid of much at all cinematically. What does he do? He takes the zany, rapid-fire pacing of the great screwball comedies (His Girl Friday, Adam's Rib, Ball of Fire, The Lady Eve are four of my faves) and updates the form with metaphysical musings on man's place in the universe. Add to that a great cast and surreal character pairings (a married couple of existential detectives? a firefighter and an environmentalist? a Sudanese refugee doorman and an arch-conservative patriarch?), and you have a mix that spells outrageous comedy for the 21st century.
Some of the scenes are so brilliant that my friend Sue and I nearly fell out of our seats laughing. One example: an ancient Spanish woman, complete with simple black hooded garment, a multitude of wrinkles, and clear-frame glasses, intones ageless mystical mumbo-jumbo while a bespectacled translator, an ever-worried expression on his face, translates her gobbledegook for the benefit of those who need spiritual counseling. Scenes like this abound, and Russell as well does some nifty stuff with screen technique--not screen splitting, but screen parceling into tiny fragments to illustrate the "profound" truths the existential detectives impart to their initially eager pupils.
As the detectives, Lily Tomlin and Dustin Hoffman are perfect, and Mark Wahlberg as the hyper, musclebound, overly enthusiastic firefighter has one of his best roles ever. Jason Schwartzman, from the great Wes Owen film Rushmore, is here as the environmentalist and lends the correct fusion of angst and intensity that fuels this baby the way it should be. Jude Law and Naomi Watts make a great neo-yuppie couple totally sold out to the Huckabees corporation. Isabelle Huppert shows up as a nihilistic counterpart to the gonzo detective couple--all three are in their early 60s and give their hearts and souls to what they're doing. And in supporting roles, Richard Jenkins, Jean Smart, Tippi Hedren (yep, from Marnie, that's right), and Kevin Dunn all turn in spot on performances.
This is not a film driven by plot, but by character and, mostly, dialogue. See it for the inspired wackiness of the absolutely nutso thought patterns on display. As our hero, the environementalist, begins to unravel metaphysically, the dialogue and action, such as it is, become increasingly zingy.
What is Russell saying here? A lot. At the same time a skewering of American shallowness and European substance, the film as well makes fun of films that throw darts at these major subjects. It's nice to see a director who knows how to make fun of his own willingness to satirize and do it in such an entertaining way. This is a comedy for people who can think and laugh--specifically, laugh at how intellectuals are perceived as being intellectuals, or how culture is perceived as being what it is, at how we worship, to whatever extent, what we half understand and half don't. This half-understanding stance is beautifully portrayed by firefighter Mark Wahlberg who spouts what could be called intellectual cliches at the drop of a hat.
Truly unique and groundbreaking, I Heart Huckabees is a film that takes the Coen Brothers' penchant for neo-screwballers and not so much updates it as transforms it into a showpiece for stuff that has not been seen before. Brilliant!
Movie Review: Subtle Brilliance
Summary: 5 Stars
I was actually on amazon trying to get the bibliography info for this movie to use it as a secondary source in the paper I'm currently writing about the social role that existentialism fulfills. I happened to spot a few revews and was both elated and let down. Although I should have perhaps expected a movie like this to recieve opposite ends of the star spectrum from various reviewers, my disheartenment came both from the ecstatic and dismal blurbs. Neither seemed to really capture the essence of what made this movie so beautiful. Personally, I had no option but go ahead and give it the 5-star rating. Why? Because both times I have viewed it, in the theatre and on dvd, I have been near the point of tears. I was literally so happy I wanted to cry. Putting aside the philosophy for a moment, lets get the technical issues out of the way. This movie had direction of the highest calibre in terms of character interaction. Big names don't always mesh, but the quirky cast for me was absolutely perfect. Perhaps not always the most stunning performances, but absolutely internally cohesive, and more importantly, extremely honest. In additon, the soundtrack fit the movie to a tee. For me, it was also the little scenes of nuance that really made it all work, like Hoffman and Tomlin dodging (unsuccesfully) the maze of sprinklers on the lawn of Law's suburban house. And then there was the philosophy. I admit I'm fully indoctrinated and preacher of existentialism, and thus as a result, perhaps did not have a problem with the subtle references made in the film. Maybe this resulted in my fuller enjoyment, but I hate to let it stand as that. Existentialism, unlike so many other philosophies, is at its core, about every day life. As a result, I was thrilled to see it actually put into an absurdly common setting, unlike what is perhaps somewhat the fallacy and alienating elements of "The Stranger", "Waiting for Godot", and many French existentialist films. This work made it accessible in a way I had never before seen. I saw another critic write that the French films do it better. I agree that they make French existentialist films better, but given the rarity today of existentialism in the American vocabulary, there is little in the way of standards in terms of American existentialist films. I Heart Huckabees seemed then to not only be attempting to expose the humanistism involved, but also working to backtrack for lost time. Only a concept so decorative and absurd as an "existentialist detective" organization could pull of the transition so blaringly in a truly American indie setting. I realize now that not everyone who has seen the film appreciates it, but I still think everyone should see it. Less for the film itself, but rather because in an American world of prescriptive victimization, I think many of us could do well with a healthy dose of self-speculation, especially when we can be assured of the absurdity it delivers. I would beg anyone reading the reviews without having seen the movie, to do yourself a favor and decide for yourself. You may or may not like the film, but the exposure can be life changing.Movie Review: I loved it, but perhaps not for everyone
Summary: 5 Stars
I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, though I could easily imagine while many would not. It follows very much in the footsteps of other major release but out-of-the-mainstream films such as BEING JOHN MALKOVICH, IGGY GOES DOWN, THE ROYAL TENNEBAUMS, and ADAPTATION. Anyone who enjoyed all or any of those films is very likely to like this one as well. Anyone who was put off by any or all of those films is unlikely to like I (HEART) HUCKABEES.
I don't want to provide any details about the story, since I believe that this is a film best enjoyed in a state of relative ignorance as to its plotline. Much of the joy in seeing the film for me was in its constantly surprising me with each twist the story took. I loved having no idea whither or where the narrative would lead, or even if it would find resolution in the end. It did, but it might not have been resolved in a fashion that would please every viewer. Without giving away any plot details, I can say that much of has the familiar feel of those undergraduate days spent contemplating existential philosophy. The ghost of Jean-Paul Sartre haunts the script.
As odd as the script is, it is remarkable that the producers were able to attract such an astonishing array of first rate actors. Though a collection of stars, it is in fact a tremendous ensemble cast, and all of the performers apparently content to be part of an interconnected group. Dustin Hoffman and Lily Tomlin (I wonder if anyone else gets the impression that she has been virtually the same age for forty years) play a married couple who are also professional colleagues in a very unusual detective agency. Jason Schwartzman plays a young environmentalist who becomes their client. Jude Law is an executive with the Huckabees of the film's title (and who wears the same medium blue suit throughout the film). Naomi Watts plays his girlfriend (and official voice of Huckabees) and who is astonishingly beautiful throughout the film, whether adorned in clothing that inevitably resembles a bikini or in baggy overalls and Amish bonnet. Mark Wahlberg probably cannot be made less attractive than he is in this film, though it is also one of his more interesting roles, as a fireman who is like Schwartzman a client of Hoffman and Tomlin. The extraordinary Isabelle Huppert, whose appearances in English language films have been tragically rare, provides a Continental presence as the author of a book that Hoffman and Tomlin perceive as threatening to their activities.
Between the highly original and difficult-to-anticipate script, the excellent direction, and the superb ensemble cast, I found this to be an utterly enjoyable film. I hesitate, however, in giving it a blanket recommendation. While I loved its quirkiness, many more conservative filmgoers could find it a bit too adventurous. I repeat what I first said about this film: if you enjoyed the films mentioned in the first paragraph, you are likely to love this one, but if you found this unpleasant or simply too odd, you might want to avoid this one.
Movie Review: The most original screenplay since Brazil...which was
Summary: 5 Stars
...the most original screenplay since Citizen Kane.
At least that's my take.
How do I describe this movie? I can't. It's bizarre in the extreme, but I mean that in a good way. It's like nothing you've ever seen before. It takes screenwriting to a new level. Maybe that sounds a tad pretentious, but sorry, it's true.
I can't imagine how they sold it. To the suits, I mean. I can't even imagine how the script reads, how one can make sense of it on paper. But I'm glad someone did, because the result was a stunningly-original film.
But how do I describe it? I can't.
I'm not the only one with this problem. I read the back of the box in the video store: it made no sense. I read some capsule summaries on the Internet Movie Database: they made no sense either. It's very stream-of-conscious, proceeds more by gut instinct than by logic. Basically, but not entirely, I [Heart] Huckabees is a philosophical discourse where the various existential elements are personified and characterized. And these existential elements get into arguments with each other. If you're the type of person who thinks matters of importance through only to have your own brain argue with itself, to hear little voices competing for your psyche's attention, then you'll understand this movie. If you aren't that type of person, you may find yourself, like many (Roger Ebert, James Berardinelli) feeling on the outside, frustrated that you can't crack the code and get "into" this movie. From the first frame I had no trouble identifyinjg with these extremely strange situations. But many will, and it's understandable. I'll skip all the obvious jokes about how maybe the right drugs will help. This movie is like a drug. And you may have a bad reaction to it. Or not.
But how do I describe it? I can't. Just rent it. The performances are a joy, except maybe oddly for Dustin Hoffman, who never really seems to find a unique voice to match his unique haircut. Paired with Lily Tomlin, she blows him off the screen seemingly without trying. Jason Schwartzman and Mark Wahlberg are wonderful as the screwball main protagonists--Schwartzman in particular shines in this sort of offbeat role. Isabelle Huppert made me laugh just by her what-is-she-doing-here presence, but I couldn't tell you why. Ditto Naomi Watts.
You can read all the reviews you want of this film, but they won't do it justice. You'll either hate it or it will blow your mind. Ebert didn't like it, but he didn't like Brazil either, and for many the same reasons. For him, neither film "made sense." For me, they come from deep within our psyches, and owe more to the irrational than to anything in the neocortex. How well you respond to either might be determined by your imagination, how far it can go, how many different ways you can see something.
But how do I describe it? I can't.
Go see it.
Movie Review: Hilarious, insightful, moving; an existential blender!
Summary: 5 Stars
Think of the zaniest, most overstuffed, in-your-face, hilarious, and screwball comedy in history and multiply it. Then add some of the sanest, most thought-provoking philosophy (existentialist Sartre in particular) ever, and you the result? David O. Russell's (Flirting with Disaster, Three Kings) new film I Heart Huckabees, a new contribution in a line of what people are calling "emo" movies-or at least that is the term I've been hearing. These come to mind: Lost in Translation, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Garden State.
We've got a playful cast of characters who take the vague work they've got to go with and make it their own; crystal, yet insane, precision. Jason Schwartzman plays Albert Markovski, a man faced with a coincidence too great to ignore. He stumbles upon the husband-and-wife existential team, Jaffe and Jaffe, to crack the case and solve his existential dilemma. Returning in his first major film since Rushmore, Schwartzman is well cast and impeccable.
Jude Law inhabits the role of Brad Stand, a chairman of Huckabees Corporate, with a comic sensibility. As the Barbie-like Huckabees spokeswoman Dawn Campbell who begins to dress like "an Amish bag lady" is Naomi Watts, in a supporting, seldom-seen, but witty performance (I loved the whole "seven minutes of heaven" scene). Mark Wahlberg as a fireman, Isabelle Huppert as the existential rival and nihilist, and of course Dustin Hoffman and Lily Tomlin as the detective team give some of their best work here. Not to mention, Wahlberg, along with Watts, is the biggest scene stealer in here.
Like the blanket theory, all of these people are connected.
I can't really explain this movie in an easy way-it's just too difficult to sum up one of the most scatterbrained, intelligent, hilarious, and beautiful films to come out in a long time. You can lop me under the category of "I Heart this movie," because this indie hit is now one of my favorite films of the new century, surprising to say as it is. I Heart Huckabees is the love-it-or-hate-it movie of the year, and I absolutely positively LOVE it!
Huckabees is an often intangible, delightfully peachy, vibrant and unadulterated piece of entertainment that channels the deepest reaches of your thinking all at once. Not to mention the "journey" is complemented by the best Jon Brion score EVER! Check out the song "Over Our Heads." Brilliant stuff.
As for the movie, you'll laugh, you'll cheer, and you may even cry. I know I did.
Everything, by the end, comes together in a comic and whimsical finale where not everything is resolved, but more questions are raised. Eccentricity and satire have seldom meshed so well in a screenplay that could have sucked. But it doesn't, and I believe that it succeeds on pretty much every level and the pandemonium has never seemed so controlled all at once. One of the best films of the year.