For those whose favorite movies include "The Royal Tennenbaums," and "Rushmore," "I Heart Huckabees" should be the next on their to-see list. This highly entertaining film certainly stands out as one-of-a-kind.
The film follows Albert Markovski (Jason Schwartzman) on his journey to find the meaning behind a strange series of coincidences with the help of the two existential detectives, Bernard and Vivian Jaffe (Dustin Hoffman and Lily Tomlin).
Albert is an advocate and founding member of a small environmental group. After making a deal with a Wal-Mart-like store to help sponsor an environmental event, he realizes he has been screwed over by his supposed friend Brad Stand (Jude Law), his connection with the Huckabees Department Store.
Tomlin and Hoffman give great, if not totally out there, performances as the detectives and they are what really makes this film worth seeing. Besides having some of the funnier lines in the movie, their appearance on the screen alone is enough to make you laugh. Their witty humor, combined with the strange physical comedy they use, make them the two strongest characters in the film.
Much of the humor in "I Heart Huckabees," comes from its great use of the unusual and often totally bizarre scenes involving the existential detectives doing their "work." At reoccurring points throughout the movie, Albert is zipped into a black body bag and experiences what is referred to as "disassembling," a process in which Albert removes all thoughts from his mind. This leaves him with the most pressing issues in his deepest of thoughts, which usually include him hacking at Brad with a machete or some other blunt weapon.
However, some of the more subtle moments in this movie prove to be the funniest. For instance, Tomlin's character can be seen diving into a car through its back-seat window, and when Albert is asked if he ever transcended space or time, he answers, "Space, not time."
Other strong performances are given by Mark Wahlberg as Albert's "other," experiencing the same feelings and asking the same questions, and Naomi Watts as Brad's girlfriend and the Huckabees official model. Wahlberg gives the best performance of his career and Watts is extremely interesting to watch as her character changes. Toward the middle of the film she begins experiencing the same feelings as Albert and drastically changes her look to become what Brad refers to as "Amish."
Overall, this film is very strong and certainly has the ability to hold its own when compared with other films of the same type. The film's unique style is created by the over-the-top bizarre humor and makes "I Heart Huckabees" different from any other movie released this season. The all-star cast, the interesting storyline and strong comedic value make this movie a true gem.
