A review on david o russells i heart huckabees

Jake Muxworthy as Tim Story:

Reviewed by Dustin Putman, September 14, The likely response most anyone will have watching the theatrical trailer and television ads for "I Huckabees" is one of intrigued bewilderment.

The cast, it cannot be denied, is of the highest order, and the whimsical style recalls the work of Wes Anderson 's " Rushmore "but attempts at figuring out the basic premise are fruitless.

Now, having seen ever last zany minute of "I Huckabees," A review on david o russells i heart huckabees is still safe to say that the film is beyond description, which isn't such a bad thing.

In a day and age of formulaic cinematic endeavors, when major studios are virtually uninterested in anything that doesn't have an easy "hook" and similarities to past financial hits, here is a motion picture that joyfully plays to its own tune.

One would be hard-pressed to find another film even remotely similar to this one, and the risk of being so stringently unorthodox ultimately pays off. Auspiciously directed by David O.

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Russell 's " Three Kings ""I Huckabees" is a so-called existential comedy about finding one's place in the world, making amends with the past, and discovering unadulterated self-gratification. It also makes sharp satirical comments on corporate greed, consumerism, therapy, and new-agism.

It features occasional fantasy sequences occurring within the minds of the characters, and extreme physical humor that would be at home in a slapstick. The catch is that "I Huckabees" is no spoof, and, barring its way-out-there quirkiness, seems to be set in a fairly accurate, at times painful, version of the real world, where one's happiness is seemingly always offset with despair and tragedy.

As the old adage goes, if you're given lemons, you make lemonade, but what the saying never considered is that said lemonade can often, and uncontrollably, be fleeting. Albert Markovski Jason Schwartzmana hard-working, underappreciated activist of nature preservation, has been faced with a number of odd coincidences in his everyday life.

He seeks the guidance of Vivian Lily Tomlin and Bernard Jaffe Dustin Hoffmanmarried existential detectives, in figuring out the meaning behind these circumstances, not knowing that their help means being followed, spied up, and studied in an attempt to get to the core of his very being.

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When Brad Stand Jude Lawan executive behind a popular retail superstore called Huckabees, catches wind of the Jaffe's work, he decides to hire them for himself in yet another selfish bid to one-up adversary Albert.

Also figuring into the story is Brad's spokesmodel girlfriend, Dawn Campbell Naomi Wattswho is easily swayed into the Jaffe's existentially pure way of thinking; firefighter Tommy Corn Mark Wahlberganother earnest client of the Jaffe's, who befriends Albert and willingly becomes his "other;" and the Jaffe's French radical rival, Caterine Vauban Isabelle Huppertwhom Albert and Tommy turn to to beat Brad at his own game.

There is a certain pretentiousness that lurks in the air, but it works most of the time, offset by Russell's genuine gusto for the material. Adding to the fantastical beauty and atmosphere is an outstanding music score by Jon Brion 's " Punch-Drunk Love "one of the more memorable of the year.

A level of concentration from the audience is required in order to follow its developments, to be sure, and there are a small handful of foggy elements that could only be clarified with a second viewing, but the extra work pays off.

Outlandish sequences that in a normal movie might come off as ludicrous and over-the-top suddenly take on an unforeseen depth and passion once the viewer has gotten a grasp of the characters' exact frames of mind and understand what they are going through.

Credit must go to the actors, who took a sizable risk with this unexplainable project. In the wrong hands and without just the right tone, it is easy to imagine "I Huckabees" failing miserably, and the only one's faced with looking silly are the cast members.

For Jason Schwartzman, his endearing turn as Albert marks his most accomplished since his debut role six years ago in the brilliant " Rushmore. Jude Law 's " Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow " brings a sense of regret and soul late in the picture to his Brad, who at first, second, and third glance comes off as pretty despicable.

As Dawn, Naomi Watts, usually seen in emotionally stark roles 's " We Don't Live Here Anymore ," 's " 21 Grams "stretches her abilities as a comedic performer with success. And, perhaps most welcome of all, Mark Wahlberg makes up for recent lackluster work in 's " Planet of the Apes " and 's " The Truth About Charlie " with a loose and extremely lovable showing as Tommy Corn.

Wahlberg and Schwartzman make a splendid team as they join forces to set things right and take down Brad, playing warmly off of each other's personalities. Really, there is no way to describe "I Huckabees" for those who have not yet seen it, and readers of this review are undoubtedly still scratching their heads.The LAT notes that the I Heart Huckabees internet sensation—featuring an exasperated Lily Tomlin enduring the c-word, among other spittle-flecked indignities, from her tantrum-throwing director.

I Heart Huckabees In David O. Russell's I Heart Huckabees, a twenty-something environmentalist, Albert (Jason Schwartzman), is plagued by a series of a coincidences involving a very tall black man who seems to just turn up everywhere. Albert, who finds a business card in a loaner suit, call.

Part of me thinks that once again David O. Russell is being misunderstood. In James Berardinelli’s review of I Heart Huckabees, he claims that the movie is a satire of other pretentious, philosophical movies (perhaps like those of P.T.

Anderson and Charlie Kaufman?).

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Before David O. Russell was winning accolades directing Mark Wahlberg in The Fighter, he was directing him (and Jason Schwartzman, Naomi Watts, Jude Law, Dustin Hoffman, Isabelle Huppert and Lily Tomlin) in I HEART HUCKABEES, which is this week's iTunes Movie of the Week.

Rudie Reviews David O. Russell’s The Fighter [Theatrical Review] by Rudie Obias. (an audience that didn’t want I Heart Huckabees or Three Kings).

[Theatrical Review] November 25, Rudie Reviews Disney’s Tangled [Theatrical Review] November 17, 'I Heart Huckabees' synopsis. Written by David O. Russell and Jeff Baena, the I Heart Huckabees storyline – if the film's meandering thread can be called that – follows Albert Markovski (Jason Schwartzman), a mediocre poet and radical environmentalist who hires two “existential” private eyes (Lily Tomlin, Dustin Hoffman) so as to.