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I Heart Huckabees
I wrote the Applebees thing yesterday knowing I've had this movie from Netflix for almost three weeks, and tonight I finally watched it. I really, really liked it, and it seemed to me like a happy marriage between Wes Anderson's and Paul Thomas Anderson's films, probably closer to Anderson's. That's not saying enough about David O. Russell's work here, though, which ambitiously makes existential crisis into a wacky, very funny comedy, yet never cheapens or parodies the philosophies/religions from which it draws inspiration, and instead asks real questions rather than shoving one solution down the throat. A tough challenge, and Russell pulls it off with excellent work from Jason Schwartzman, Mark Wahlberg, Jude Law, Naomi Watts and the wonderfully conceived "existential detectives" Lily Tomlin and Dustin Hoffman. Russell's commentary is thoughtful and points out the political subtext (the film is in part a response to 9/11) as well as the uses of color and music and the creation of the inexpensive but very effective special effects. Haven't watched the cast commentary yet. The film left me rather refreshed and emotionally somewhat blissful and accepting. In that frame of mind, I would ask that those who choose to comment on this blog show good manners and try to offer comments that stimulate discussion. To my mind, you don't show up on someone's blog without offering something of value--it's like showing up at someone's house for a party and not bringing wine or chips or dessert, you know? A solitary negative comment is, essentially, showing up and taking a plateful of food and leaving with it. You've subtracted from the space without exchanging a positive, thoughtful piece of yourself. Leave a good idea on the table, I say. I've always found that a hostile comment gives the other person fewer options. It's like throwing a ball AT someone rather than tossing it TO them--they either have to swat it away or crumple defensively, or they have to take the offensive and hit it back, turning that momentum, that hostility, back to you.
Posted by ChristopherAllen at 12:46 AM [Link to this post]
3 Comments:
That's a great comments policy, nicely thought out and explained.
I am sorry to disagree after what seems like a cogent view. (Anyone who recognizes the brilliance of Paul Andersons can't be all bad.) I heart Huckabees is a shoddy affair. One of the worst jobs of directing I have ever seen. Did anyone on the film know how to set up a camera in the proper place? As the monotony wore on I grew increasingly embarassed for the actors involved. The only one who seemed the least clued in was Whalberg. The taking of Isabella Huppert from behind in the mud is one of the lowest points in all cinema. It looked like they were shooting the rehearsal. One of the five worst "big movies" I have ever seen. However, I did enjoy the soundtrack which seemed nicely quirky.
Hey Anonymous--I have no problem with what you wrote. It did get mixed reviews, which caused me not to see the movie in the theater, though I liked Russell's previous film THREE KINGS a lot. I do disagree about camera set-up, though. I've seen the film three times now and liked the way it was shot, not that there was anything exemplary in that regard. I can see your point about the mud scene, though it does fit right into her ideas on degradation and cruelty and meaninglessness--she gave Schwartzman a brief sensation but the memory would likely be somewhat embarrassing and non-romantic to him. I did find it odd he was still wearing his boxers, though, and Wahlberg points this out in the commentary. As far as bad directing, I dunno--he got good performances out of everyone, I thought. Law played nicely against type, as did Watts, and she had a short time to make her character arc work. I thought Tomlin and Hoffman were a fun couple...Jeez, I don't want to go on and on about this. You didn't like it, fine with me.
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