Wednesday Movie Night: I Heart Huckabees (2004)

Before his hit, Silver Linings Playbook, David O. Russell directed another moving delving into the human mind to show us one man pondering his existence, and what it means when things seem meaningless. It's definitely a movie that shows a director on his way to becoming a household name. Even though he sticks with his indie format it shows he is one of the best at creating unique and quirky people who are just looking to feel they relate to someone.

Albert is unsatisfied with his job, and where he believes it is leading him. In the hopes of preserving nature he is finding himself feeling meaningless when even his coworkers don't take him seriously, much less the community doesn't even listen to him. So he seeks the help of two detectives, but these detectives aren't like just any others. Bernard and Vivian solve existential issues, so when they are hired they investigate your life to find where your issue lies. When Albert meets Tommy, who feels let down by the detectives, and finds his coworker, Brad seeking help from the same place, he becomes doubtful they can help, and seeks help from their nemesis, Caterine, who has a much darker view of the crisis people face.


Most of all this movie is hilarious, and that can mostly be credited to Mark Walberg as Tommy. As many of his characters though the guy seems to have a lot of angst, and is mad at the world, but what adds a nice twist is that he is an over the top environmentalist, even driving his family away at his attempts to preserve everything. Adding, Albert to Tommy's life makes things even more hilarious. So far though Jason Schartzman seems to be just a small movie actor, and while he conveyed Albert well he also seemed very emotionless like many of his other characters he has portrayed like in Rushmore.

Dustin Hoffman, and Lily Tomlin play the detectives, and they give the movie the quirk it needs to work. They are extremely odd, but charming enough that you see why clients come to them trusting them to help them out with their lives. As someone who hasn't seen much from Jude Law, but enough, he seems to have a pretty good range of acting, and in this one he takes on the egotistical, Brad. He is the popular guy, and his development is one of the more interesting ones to watch in the movie.

What Russell seems to be good at though is explaining how people relate to one another. Albert finds himself first relating to Tommy, then Christina, and then a surprise person that adds a nice development to a movie. Much like we see in Silver Linings Playbook, it seems the point is we are searching for someone we feel can relate to our situation whether it's a good or bad one. The movie does use hilarity well in explaining that concept.

There are some odd bits in the movie like when Albert sits in a bag and sees swirling faces, or when bits of their faces swirl around when they are talking during the movie. This adds to the oddness though, and somehow makes it better. Most of all though it is a funny look at people, which you wish would make a little bit more of a leap with it's lead character, Albert.

Rating 8 of 10.