Customer Reviews

I Heart Huckabees

5 star:		(87)
4 star:		(35)
3 star:		(23)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(42)

 

 

"I Heart Huckabees" is the ultimate love it / hate it movie. Few will say, "I could either go see 'I Heart Huckabees' or whatever else is playing at the multiplex."

Me? I loved "I Heart Huckabees." I loved it so much I can't even review it. I loved every performance, every line of dialogue; I loved it so much I want to form a club with others who loved this movie ... Normally, I can't stand Jason Schwartzman, and even he didn't ruin it for me.

How can you tell which camp you'll fall into? Here's a test. Agree or Disagree with the following statements:

1.) My friends and family tell me I think too much, and that my life would be much easier if I would just relax and not rock the boat.

2.) I've tried meditation, but gotten sidetracked when I found myself imagining taking a machete to people who annoy me.

3.) I could pick Franz Kafka out of a line-up that included Jean Paul Satre, Simone de Beauvoir, and Buster Keaton.

4.) The thought of sex with a nihilist leaves me contemplating nothingness, and yet strangely aroused.

5.) I've always wanted to see Marky Mark bicycle in fireman's knee-high rubber boots, while protesting the world petroleum crisis.

6.) I once lost a girlfriend / boyfriend to someone who was cover-model pretty / handsome, but had no soul, and that, yet again, caused me to think too much, and then to meditate, and then to imagine the whole machete thing.

7.) I think that the objectification of women is shallow and obscene, and Amish bonnets turn me on.

8.) Dustin Hoffman does a faux friendly, "I've got your nuts in my cracker" smile better and better as he ages.

9.) Lily Tomlin is reason enough to see any movie.

10.) Cruely, Manipulation, Meaninglessness.

Give yourself as many points as you want for each "yes" answer, and then give yourself an equal number of points for each "no" answer. Cause, you know? It's all one.

Let me start off by saying, if you like "weird" movies that tend to draw a cult following (i.e. Napoleon Dynamite), you SHOULD love this gem. I did. If you want to know what the movie is about, read the back of the display case or any of the hundred or so reviews on Amazon.com. Let me provide you with some compelling reasons to purchase this disc: 1) Make no mistake, this film is WEIRD; 2) It has an underlying feel-good tone, making it a perfect flick to come home to after a crappy day at the office; 3) It ranks high on the "re-watchability" scale; 4) While the humor isn't for everyone, those that do find it funny, find it EXTREMELY funny; 5) The cinematography was very interesting and incorporated elements that I had never seen before in a film; 6) The soundtrack made an already funny film, funnier (and weirder); 7) The star-studded cast really nailed their roles; 8) I'd buy it for the "dinner scene" alone. All in all, this movie isn't for everyone, but those who enjoy it, enjoy it immensely. Please feel free to disagree with my opinion; let us compare opinions, invite a few more points of view, and debate, like the humans we are.

Thank you for I (HEART) Huckabees! Any attempt to consider the kinds of questions this film takes on are always welcome in my home. I was happy to see such a talented and varied team of professionals working on this film. This is a testament to their own open-mindedness and courage. I was fascinated throughout, not only by the performances of the actors, but also by the way in which the screenwriter presented his ideas...and the music...that was pretty cool too.

The film has been recapped already in these reviews. I have a checklist of who I think would particularly like this movie:

1. Anybody going through a big transition in their life (death, breakup of a relationsihp, change of work, moving).

2. Anybody who hears, contemplates or practices the teachings of Buddhism in all of its garden variety manifestations.

3. Anybody who knows they survived a difficult childhood (in one way or the other).

4. Anybody into philosophy - particularly Existentialism or other Eastern philosophies besides Buddhism - like Hinduism or Zen.

5. Anybody who wonders why I have not included their particular "TRIP" in this check list: so if you are a Southern Baptist, an inmate on Rikers Island, a European financier, a female CEO, a refugee from Sudan or your typical run of the mill, ordinary, imperfect human being...consider yourself on the list too.


CHECK IT OUT!!!

As someone who enjoyed this movie but has hated many other hip, irreverent, deep, intellectual movies, I abhor the comment that anyone who didn't like this movie "didn't get it." There's nothing to "get" here. This isn't the most intellectually sublime movie of the last five decades. It is a fun romp through existential philosophy, a great movie about a rivalry between two men, a fascinating character study, and some people are going to find it a heck of a lot funnier than other people do.

This is an offbeat movie, with colorful and zany cinematography, some brilliant acting by Tomlin and Hoffman, very smart dialogue, and some great moral dilemmas. Opinions are divided, so you will either love it or hate it. Read the collection of reviews on Amazon.com and decide if you are willing to risk it.

I've read most of the reviews here and although there's plenty of stuff I agree with, none actually reflect what I think about this movie. Hence, a review of my own...

First thing to know about Huckabees: It's a comedy and not a philosophical movie. Dont get lost in the philosophies thrown around, they are not that deep and their purpose is to give more background to each respective character...

What I felt was the point of the movie was to try and make fun of our existential questions. Everybody, either in a superficial or really deep way have played with the questions of Life, the Universe and Everything. In this movie you get a large group of diverse characters who are made to do just that: Wonder about life...

You get the French nihilist and the two existential detectives, who have supposedly thought a lot about existence, you get the corporate suit-and-tie guy (Jude Law) who is pre-occupied with success and self-image, his girlfriend (Naomi Watts), a not-so-bright top model who (in a funny caricature way) fights depression, you get a happy Christian family, you get Albert, the enviromentalist, who HAS to know whats going on with his life, Wahlberg, confused and depressed after 9-11...

...in fact at every point of the film you get a glimpse of different personalities, intentionally stereotyped, dealing with existence in their own way... Literally, every sequence is about that, pondering the question, dodging the question, being ignorant or actively denying there is a point to the question at all.

And here's the good bit: Its all presented in a wonderfully light and comedic fashion. The dialogues are really funny (considering the subject) and the performances are absolutely *stellar*. Every actor really serves his role and is utterly convincing as the stereotype Rusell wants to portray...

The movie is really, really smart too. Now, I need to clarify "smart". Not as in "wow, that was really deep" but rather as its really smart in the way it brings all those different personalities together, in funny situations, whilst all the time keeping up with that oh-so-familiar existential backdrop. Because, lets face it folks, we all question life from time to time. This movie is superb at showing a vast array of characters doing just that and whatsmore doing it while talking with each other...

Simply put, watching the "poet-environmentalist", who thinks is really intellectual have a discussion with that christian family at the dinner table IS funny. The point is not following their argument per se (although it is really nicely done to serve that purpose) but watching how the discussion blasts off into a fight, both parties thinking the other is crazy and misguided. And thats a theme that is really prevalent throughout the film. Everybody thinks they got it right and at every step trying to convince the other, the dialogues are pure gold (my favourite being the lamentation of the Spanish old lady and Mark Wahlberg's impatience and petroleum fixation).

Hats off to Rusell for coming up with the idea and the characters and sequences to demonstrate it. And the performances...

As for any deeper meanings? Well, obviously the French nihilist and the two detectives (Hoffman is amazing...) represent two "philosophies", negative and positive respectively. It's not something really deep, more like pop philosophy (although they could serve as a small nudge to read more about them if anybody's interested) and Rusell at the end pulls a kind of ying-yang deal, that both are right and complement each other, which again its not something really deep but it is a valid thought and not just pseudointellectual crap...

Besides, the point REALLY ISN'T about the philosophical meanings, everyone will have an opinion of their own watching the film (about how smart or stupid they are). The point is to sit back and enjoy humans get themselves in a knot (or not!) in a highly comedic background.

Personally, I laughed really hard at many scenes, enjoyed the flow of the story, really enjoyed the acting and directing and at the end, I felt I had seen a great and very different kind of movie.

Can't wait for his next film, so far every movie has a distinctive element and I really like this guy's humour. Great stuff!

This film is one of my favorites for 2004. It was funny and brilliant, and perfectly on the mark regarding psychology. There are a few flaws in the film, minor ones that if changed could possibly have reached a wider audience, but its still very much worth seeing over and over.

For anyone who's considered taking therapy or is in one now, see this film instead. The $20 or so you spend on this dvd will be well worth spent after all the money and time spent on therapy. The reason is because this film gives you all the secrets that you'll only pay big bucks to hear from a "professional". Whatever existential problem one has, the first step to correcting it is to look for the deeper and hidden connection that separates one from another. What stories to we repeat over and over to other people, and why do we repeat the same stories over and over? We see examples of this from many angles in this film.

The film begins with obscenity as Jason Schwartzman is heard swearing over and over before we see him. As the film rolls along, we learn that Schwartzman is an environmentalist with serious problems (bad hair supposedly isn't one of them). He recognizes a coincidence of seeing the same tall African man on three seperate occasions and this leads him to seek out Existential Detectives, played brilliantly by Lily Tomlin and Dustin Hoffman (both with equally bad hair). To get to their office, one has to walk a labyrinthian hallway, and this was cleverly done (read Joseph Campbell's "The Hero With A Thousand Faces" to find out the purpose of labyrinthes).

The Detectives follow Schwartzman around to get clues into his life, both internal and external. Hoffman focuses on his inner conflicts, and Tomlin focuses on the minutaie of his life. What they find out is that there are some serious conflicts that need addressing regarding Schwartzman's animosity towards golden boy Jude Law, who is a rising star at the Huckabees retail chain (think cross between Walmart and Target). Jude Law perfectly plays a man with everything going for him...good looks, a hot girlfriend (who is the covergirl face of Huckabees), a rising career, famous connections, a house and an SUV. He is dripping with charisma and Schwartzman hates him for it.

We are also introduced to Mark Wahlberg in an amusing role as a fireman who obsesses over oil after the events of 9/11. He repeats to anyone and everyone about the impending oil crisis and our oil-dependent lifestyle, but that too is a cry for help, as it has lead to ruinous relationships (confusing his young daughter who doesn't know what to do about the things he points out). When Wahlberg and Schwartzman are paired up as partners, they fall out of Existential Detectives' influence, taking a liking to the more sadistic rival, played brilliantly by French actress Isabelle Huppert. She gives them both a lesson in how petty drama distracts people from seeing the truth of their infinite nature and the existential problems that plague all of us.

As the film rolls along, we see all the drama play out and how characters will lie to try and fool the Existential Detectives, but the joke's on them. Seeing how Jude Law becomes unraveled once his jovial facade is punctured by the detectives, as well as how Schwartzman's existential angst is traced back to an event in childhood is just amazing to watch. This film is so right on with the psychology books I've read and my own ponderings into my inner life. People should see this film over and over and use the information presented to examine their own inner nature. It will lead to some profound conclusions. Its a shame this film wasn't discovered by more people in theaters. I think it would make an excellent TV series as Existential Detectives take on new clients each week, as viewers learn about how important events from our past affect our perception of the world and how we view others and ourselves. My favorite line in the film is when Naomi Watts tells Jude Law something like "you just can't deal with my infinite nature!" Brilliant. The music is also a perfect match for the film. If you're buying this DVD, you'll want the soundtrack as well. Its perfect to listen to, especially on a bad day when you need some cheering up. Buy both...you'll LOVE Huckabees!

I Heart Huckabees is an intelligent and funny look into the classic types of angst we all feel in our modern world. It weaves thoughtful and relevant commentary out of screw-ball plot tools and delightfully quirky characters. It touches on heady issues like universal interconnectedness and the meaning of life, but stays relevant and entertaining because we can easily identify with its characters and their down-to-Earth problems. The movie's humour is often subtle, built on slapstick laid over sociopolitical dialogue with bull's-eye acuity, and that's certainly not everyone's cup of tea. As for me, I often found myself laughing my head off whilst half-cringing at the nature of the human condition. In the end, it's a heartwarming movie.

I HEART HUCKABEES takes a look at the existential meltdown of Albert Markovski (Jason Schwartzman), an employee at Huckabees (the equivalent of the WalMart chain of stores), who also works to promote the planting of trees in public spaces, while writing irate poetry in a notebook and trying to figure out his raison d'etre in the world. Enter Bernard (Dustin Hoffman) and Vivian (Lily Tomlin), a team of existential detectives, who also happen to be married to each other. They are determined to take on Albert's case, pro bono, and find out the root cause(s) of his anxiety and what blocks him from becoming truly free of what shackles him to his turbulent past. Through taking on this pro bono case, Bernard and Vivian also have encounters with Albert's colleagues at Huckabees, who are struggling with identity crises of their own--co-workers Brad (Jude Law) and Dawn (Naomi Watts).

I really don't know how to best describe this film. If you are looking to compare this to a distinctive style, I would say the closest it comes to is the brilliant THE SEARCH FOR SIGNS OF INTELLIGENT LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE, written by Jane Wagner, and performed by Lily Tomlin (who steals this film, along with Dustin Hoffman). HUCKABEES truly examines what drives us in life, what is coincidence, what lies in our ultimate control in the world and how it shapes our personas in the world. I reccomend that you really take the time to see this film in one sitting, and you may even need to go back and watch it again to catch all of the nuance.

As a good friend (and philosophy graduate student) of mine put it: "This movie takes all of 20th century existentialism and wraps it up into a pop joke for two hours." Thank you to all the reviewers who found it in themselves to relax and enjoy the movie instead of being angry at it for using big words. The movie is not meant to reveal the meaning of life to the audience, nor is it meant to make some overwhelming profound statement. Instead, it gives a lesson that all of us can benefit from--that in the search for value in life, it is not wise to swallow someone else's perspective whole, and that value is not to be found all neatly typed up in some book or neatly summed up from someone else's mouth.

This movie manages to be highly enjoyable, extremely funny, and challenging and thought-provoking all at once. That is not an easy amalgam to achieve, and the movie deserves all the more credit for that. It saddens me that many reviewers found they could not relate to the characters, because all the characters are doing is critically assessing their lives, challenging traditional notions, and looking for more out of life--something we should all be doing constantly.

My advice: stop expecting the movie to be some magnificent revelation, and sit back and enjoy it. Learn from the characters' methods, not necessarily the content. The ones who ended up frustrated with this movie were the ones who frantically sought deep meaning in it where there was only satire and good fun. There are many fascinating and philosophical concepts to ponder upon the movie's end, but the movie is not trying to spoon-feed us the existentialist perspective. Instead, the audience gets to watch the characters grapple with these important ideas, and we should be inspired to do the same while having a good laugh. See the movie, let it challenge you, but don't take it too seriously.

While many film enthusiasts may enjoy this film, the most likely predictor that someone will like "I Heart Huckabees" is an appreciation for existential literature. This film follows the tradition of the play "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead," a classic example of absurdist drama. While many perceive the lack of fluidity and maze of philosophical references to be a downfall of the film--calling it poor or pretentious writing--this style is actually probably as relevent to the movie as the characters or the lines themselves are. Plot is inconsequential in absurdist drama, and exaggerated and ridiculous events and characters are exactly what make absurdist drama "absurd." The film also echoes more famous examples of existentialism, such as "Waiting for Godot" or Sartre's works.

At the same time, "I Heart Huckabees" is full of humor and charm that anyone could appreciate. The acting is superb, and the one-liners are classic. Not everyone will love or even necessarily like this film, but by no means does the audience have to be familiar with existentialism or any other philosophical theories to appreciate the film. In fact, with the humor and absurdity surrounding the characters, the film is in many ways a farce ridiculing existentialism and other lofty philosophies. It only helps to know that the disjointedness and peculiarity of the plot are intentional, and not a result of clumsy writing or childish whim of imagination.