Stream it now I Heart Huckabees 2004

 

I is for I Heart Huckabees.
Albert Markovski (Jason Schwartzman) is on a mission to save the woods and the marsh. But first, he has to solve a coincidence with a tall Sudanese orphan, address his mommy issues, and face his opposite half, corporate pretty boy Brad Stand (Jude Law). And for that, he'll need the help of a handful of existential detectives, namely Vivian and Bernard Jaffe (Lily Tomlin and Dustin Hoffmann), a dark, mysterious and seductive Frenchwoman (Isabelle Huppert), and his other, a kindred spirit undergoing the same degree of existential crisis, a firefighter named Tommy Korn (Mark Wahlberg). Lost yet? If not, follow us as we explore everything and nothing, meaning and despair, light and darkness, connection and separation. Did we mention that this involves mancala, large red balloons, jet skis, petroleum, and Naomi Watts dressed like an Amish bag lady?
Okay, so it's a tad pretentious and hard to follow. But the feeling I always end with after seeing this film is lightness (the unbearable lightness of being, perhaps?). It's so bizarre as to be silly and light-hearted and enjoyable. And for all the nonsense it's spouting, most of it is viable philosophy, not handed down in a pandering way, but explored and toyed with. And maybe it's just a sign of fantastic acting, but I love this cast, especially Naomi Watts and Mark Wahlberg's classic love connection. Not to mention the cameos: see if you can spot Jean Smart, Jonah Hill, Isla Fisher, Tippi Hedren, and Richard Jenkins among the cast. The film's definitely original and probably takes a certain kind of person to appreciate it, and it's a little dated in its connection to firefighter heroes and "that September thing", but it's still always fun to sit through.
Overall, an existential trip of a film, encompassing both meaning and meaninglessness, but mostly just a terrific cast, script and direction adding up to a really frakkin' hilarious film.

Enjoyed this immensely. Wahlberg once again was one of my favorite characters! I would love to work with Tomlin and Hoffman at the existential detective agency.

Jason Shwartzman, existential detectives, and evil corporations all make I Heart Huckabees a laugh your ass off search for the meaning of life! Can't believe it took me so long to see this! Must Watch!

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This is one of my favorite movies of all time. Also my favorite movie to quote. It always hits the spot no matter what mood I'm in. Hilarious, quirky, romantic, absurd & clever. Great soundtrack too.

The most intelligent and odd movie of 2004. If you liked Election but want something completely different then this movie is something you may or may not enjoy.

very intelligent and hilarious

"how am i not myself? how am i not myself?"

outrageous, original, explosive, hilarious, ignored, crazy and very very thought-provoking. David O. Russell should be praised for assembling this so energetic cast.

Excellent are the turns of Lily Tomlin (deadpan and observant, her existential detective is totally fun to watch), Jason Schwartzman (great quirky lead, his mom Talia Shire is also here), Jude Law (his one or two-minute-long crying is sympathetic and CUTE!) and of course Mark Wahlberg (he makes the film crazier and his lines are the ones that pour so much ideas into the viewer's mind).

I just heart I Heart Huckabees.

The Meaning of Absurdity

(Review originally written in 2005)

At a time in the not-too-distant past, Monty Python released a movie titled The Meaning of Life, the running joke of which was that, by way of its numerous vignettes on birth, adolescence, class struggle, religion, war, labor, sex, and death, somehow or another the meaning of life was to be revealed, and of course it never is. The only thing that is revealed is how absurd life can be. This is pretty much the situation with I

A hillarious Surealistic Comedy about the Meaning of Life

Terrible, temporarily destroyed the once promising careers of three young men; Russel, Shwartzman, and Law.