| |
|
A Mom's Review
|
See what Mom thinks of the movies that are out now.
|
What's 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Articles
|
| I Heart Huckabees |
|
admin writes, "Albert (Jason Schwartzman, 'Rushmore') is thrown into a coincidence crisis when he comes upon a 7 foot Sudanese man three times in one day. Troubled, Albert seeks out Bernard (Dustin Hoffman) and Vivian (Lily Tomlin), a pair of existential detectives who proceed to trail Albert in his daily life to figure out his quandary. What the pair discovers instead is Albert's frustration with Brad (Jude Law), a callous exec for the department store chain Huckabees, who wants to help Albert in his fight to save the local environment (with the help of Shania Twain and Pete Sampras), but also wants to further his career. Falling into an abyss of self-loathing, Albert and the detectives try to solve his philosophical problems while fending off a scheming French radical (Isabelle Huppert), embracing another distressed client (Mark Wahlberg), and lusting after Brad's girlfriend and Huckabees spokeswoman Dawn (Naomi Watts), who wants to learn a thing or two about her own infinite nature. "
|
Can a film that questions the great unknown of nothingness, or any other of the myriad of existential crises be funny? Writer/director David O. Russell seems to think so, which explains the existence of his new film, 'I Heart Huckabees,' which takes a bizarre and occasionally hilarious look at characters who are in desperate need of self-exploration and personal inventory.
'Huckabees' is a peculiar film, but that's exactly what Russell (and co-writer Jeff Baena) is going for, stocking the film with lightning quick philosophical and existential ramblings intermixed with broad comedy to keep the film light on its toes. This quickly paced picture isn't for everyone, and possibly isn't for anyone at all. It seems to exist only in Russell's head, with the filmmaker trusting that this inspired lunacy will somehow rub off on the more philosophically inclined, inducing the masses to unite and solve their own existential dilemmas.
Much like 'Fahrenheit 9/11' and John Waters's 'A Dirty Shame,' 'Huckabees' is the sole vision of the director, and his fervent enthusiasm for the material is infectious even at moments when the film makes absolutely no sense. The fact that 'Huckabees' can remain entertaining through so many wild and bewildering tangents of the mind is a credit to Russell and the film.
Besides, where else can you see Jude Law vomit lightly into his hand and slurp it back up? Not in 'Sky Captain,' lemme tell ya.
A lot is asked of the cast in 'Huckabees,' and the particularly high-wattage lineup of actors is a testament to the faith they shared in Russell and his vision (captured impeccably by cinematographer Peter Deming). Jason Schwartzman makes for an interestingly distressed lead character, whose bizarre crisis of coincidence kicks off the odyssey. With Schwartzman as the film's rock, the rest of the actors are allowed to play very exaggeratedly, with the most fun provided by Dustin Hoffman and Lily Tomlin as the existential detectives. The two actors look like they're on vacation. Russell gives the whole cast a chance to run wild with the script, with only Mark Wahlberg (who acts as Russell's mouthpiece with his objections to Earth's reliance on petroleum) tripping up a little bit with the thorny dialog. The rest of the cast can only bask in the heat of the complicated ideas, striving to not appear overwhelmed by Russell's film. They're all enormous fun.
As one might expect, 'Huckabees' runs out of steam long before it can find a conclusion, which I'm convinced it never does. Once Shania Twain shows up to kick Brad's ass in a hotel elevator, Russell has reached the bottom of his well of ideas, and the film shuffles off softly. 'I Heart Huckabees' is tough to recommend because the toxicity of the material is so potent. But the minutiae that Russell displays here is fascinating, and should provide a conversation piece for the baby-eating pseudo-intellectuals found in wine bars, as well as endless hours of entertainment for lonely college kids who can study the film with the same sweaty intensity that they employ when they pore over the latest changes to the 'Star Wars' trilogy on DVD.
Author: unemployed movie critic
|
Posted on Oct 05, 2004 12:01pm.
(Return)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Add Your Article or Letter
|
 You must be logged in to use this feature. If you haven't done so please Register or Login.
Once you have logged in you will see a User Control Panel with icons for the various activities you are allowed as a User.
Click on the Articles icon and choose the category you would like. Once submitted, your article will be reviewed by the Administrator before being posted. We do not censor opinion, we just don't want any bad words... You know which ones.
|
|
Parenting Resources
|
Online Parenting Sites and Resources
|
|
|
