Starring: Jason Schwartzman, Jude Law, Naomi Watts, Mark Wahlberg, Dustin Hoffman Directed By: David O. Russell Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Audience Rating: R (Restricted) Binding: DVD Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, Full Screen, NTSC Number of Items: 1 Region Code: 1 Release Date: February 22, 2005 Running Time: 107 minutes Studio: 20th Century Fox Theatrical Release Date: October 22, 2004
Product Description: Kindhearted but confused activist andrew markovski hires a pair of screwball existential detectives to help him find the meaning of life. All the while a sexy french author is trying to throw a wrench in their plan by seducing andrews mind and body. Studio: Tcfhe Release Date: 04/15/2008 Starring: Dustin Hoffman Jude Law Run time: 107 minutes Rating: R
Amazon.com: Billed as "an existential comedy," I Heart Huckabees is a flawed yet endearingly audacious screwball romp that dares to ponder life's biggest questions. Much of director David O. Russell's philosophical humor is dense, talky, and impenetrable, leading critic Roger Ebert to observe that "it leaves the viewer out of the loop," and suggesting that Russell's screenplay (written with his assistant, Jeff Baena) is admirably bold yet frustratingly undisciplined. Russell's ideas are big but his expression of them is frenetic, centering on the unlikely pairing of an environmentalist (Jason Schwartzman) and a firefighter (Mark Wahlberg) as they depend on existential detectives (Lily Tomlin, Dustin Hoffman) and a French nihilist (Isabelle Huppert) to make sense of their existential crises, brought on (respectively) by a two-faced chain-store executive (Jude Law) and his spokesmodel girlfriend (Naomi Watts), and the aftermath of 9/11's terrorism. No brief description can do justice to Russell's comedic conceit; you'll either be annoyed and mystified or elated and delighted by this wacky primer for coping with 21st century lunacy. Deserving of its mixed reviews, I Heart Huckabees is an audacious mess, like life itself, and accepting that is the key to enjoying both. --Jeff Shannon
their superpowers are intellect and... ^ The climax had me giving a one-man standing ovation for intellect. If that's not a good sign, how about some light hearted suspense, all in the name of intellect? I wouldn't say this is a roll on the floor laughing film, but it's got a comedic vibe throughout that occassionally manages to catch a few laughs. It's mostly a serious film told in a light hearted style. Very entertaining if nothing else...
The universe is where? ^ As a relative late-comer to this film, about which the most irritating thing for me was the title, I'll have little to add. Firstly, I think it the height of stupidity, even if the studio intended it, that the film is called "I HEART Huckabees". The correct phrasing as I should well know is "I LOVE Huckabees".
Having got that off my chest, I have a huge problem with the toadying up to existentialism and Sartre that goes so hand-in-hand with this film. Existentialism and especially Sartre are NOT FUN...this film is fun. To hell with existentialism and Sartre.
I found it refreshing and brilliant that an "Existentialist Investigation Agency" could actually work in a film as a concept--it makes me wonder why we don't really have such agencies. I'd love to be told I'll be spied upon, then have someone actually do it and tell me where I go wrong.
This is the point of this delightful, best-seen-hit-and-run-style film. It isn't existentialism, it's CONSCIENCE. Tomlin and Hoffman are the protagonists' respective consciences! It is brilliant, and if one is not open to self exploration/criticism, one won't "get" the film.
So forget about comparisons with "The Royal Tennenbaums" and "Iggy Blah Blah" and the others. This film is much more akin to one of Terry Gilliam's masterpieces, because it reflects humanity's quirks the same way.
Usual kudos to the great work on this film...and personally, I think Mark Wahlberg is at his sexiest in this film. He makes up for the irritating dorkiness of the alleged "main character" played by Jason Schwartzman, who is a sort of tougher version of comedian Richard Lewis. Admittedly, casting Lewis instead of Schwartzman would have been the kiss of death for this delightful film. Buy it, but DO NOT watch this on the same night as "The Life Acquatic With Steve Zissou"--my only existentialist reference.
Fun beginners glimpse on Quantum Mechanics/ Physics ^ This can be purchased and come with or without bonus features. YOU WANT THE VERSION WITH BONUS FEATURES! They are so worth it. Dustin Hoffman and Lily Tomlin interview different quantum physics scientists in character and I can't tell you any more without spoiling the whole thing. I actually saw the version first at the video store and begged Roch to get it for me for Xmas and so he did but for some reason the released a second DVD without said Bonus Features and were so disappointed we sold it on eBay to get the version we wanted. We finally have it now and was well worth the wait!
The movie itself was so much fun to watch and love popping it in to watch any time. Very funny and a great plot if you can say there is really a plot to a time line of random events.
Existentialist? Crazy fun and worth a look... ^ Reviews were mixed, if only because no one was enjoying the fun that the cast was having with the script of David O. Russell and Jeff Baena. Indeed, director Russell ran with this crazy idea and, best of all, a remarkable cast ran with him, all the way. Silliness abounds. I thought this might be an idea Charlie Kaufman would come up with; it was released the same year as "Eternal Sunshine". The film had no Oscar recognition, but was on many Top 10 lists; totally ignored by the Indie Spirits. Jason Schwarzman is terrific, as is Mark Wahlberg; excellent support from Lily Tomlin, Dustin Hoffman, Naomi Watts, Jude Law, Richard Jenkins, Tippi Hedren, Talia Shire, Bob Gunton, and the enigmatic Isabel Huppert...it really is a feast of acting, regarding the subject matter. Not a weak link to be found. It may not be for all tastes, but it was very entertaining for me. I was amused at a running joke about Shania Twain, and when she appeared, it was a pivotal moment. This is a very classy film, misunuderstood by many.If you want some totally insane fun, check it out. Highly recommended. The DVD I watched was full-screen, with only a commentary. Bummer.
big disspointment ^ I guess at some point I should get used to these kinds of movies where the story that the movie should be about disspears and is replaced by some lame distraction in which someone can spew thier pseudo-intillectual crap for an hour and a half. This time it's existential detectives.
Oh, and at the end they discover that the problem with Jude Law and Naomi Watt's is they're not having good sex. OH how amazingly original!
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