| Author |
Message |
|
| billyweeds |
 Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2004 4:37 pm |
 |
|
Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
|
marantzo wrote: Quote: Very likely, as did a great many other people. Just not me.
I just got back from seeing it, and you can count me with you about the total lack of laughs in this ridiculous dud. Trying to be hip and out there and zany and incisively satirical when it is just a forced, unfunny, amatuerish embarrassment for all involved. Intellectual? Intelligent? In what alternate universe? In this universe it is just plain dumb.
A movie that in a perfect world would have been shelved.
Thanks, geezer-bro. |
|
|
| Back to top |
  
|
| marantzo |
| Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2004 4:50 pm |
|
|
|
Guest
|
| I liked Three Kings and I liked Flirting With Disaster. Now he produces Anchorman and writes and directs this non-comedy. He should have taken this year off. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| Melody |
| Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2004 8:23 pm |
|
|
Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 2242
Location: TX
|
Near the beginning of I Heart Huckabees, existential detective Bernard (Dustin Hoffman) uses a snow-white blanket as a visual aid to start new client Albert (Jason Schwartzman) down his path of discovery. “Say this blanket represents all the matter and energy in the universe, okay? This is me, this is you, and over here, this is the Eiffel Tower, right? It's Paris!”
At this point, I sense two reactions in the audience: intrigued tell me more versus utter bullshit.
Here’s the thing with David O. Russell. For the intrigued-tell-me-more bunch, his screenplays are a delightful stroll through a maze that you know eventually you’ll find your way out of, but in the meantime, you can’t wait to see what totally unpredictable sight awaits you around the next bend.
The utter-bullshit crowd sees I Heart Huckabees as an unfunny mess with no discernible plot – who cares about the tall African dude, and why does Albert keep crawling in that body bag if it’s so unpleasant? To them, none of this is worth their attention and they’re outta … oh wait, there’s Naomi Watts doing a commercial in a thong. Okay, they’ll stick around for a little while longer.
Russell presents us with an oversimplification – but not dumbing down – of two philosophies competing for (eventually) just about everyone’s souls. I won’t go into them here as they are best discovered organically, but I will say how absolutely refreshing it is to have a movie speak to our role in the universe and what it all means, and there be no turning to god or any other higher power for The Big Answer.
Which brings me to goddess Lily Tomlin still Search(ing) for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe. “My space chums are concerned about our evolvement because they say we’re all connected … Seems like there’s some kind of cosmic Krazy Glue connecting everything to everything … We all time-share the same atoms ...” Testify, Ms. Lily!
Okay, that quote wasn’t from the movie; it was from Jane Wagner and Tomlin’s stage play. Interesting coincidence, though, don’t you think?
I’ll give you another one.
Yesterday I said to my honey on the phone, if you were here, we’d be rolling around outside in the dirt right now cuz I’ve got full moon fever baby, and then WOW next thing you know, I’m watching this movie and there’s Albert and Caterine rubbing swamp slime on each other and mucking like crazy.
Now, did I pull this image from my boyfriend’s brain, or did I pluck it from the collective unconscious, or was it merely coincidence this totally hot image of us dirty and nekkid in my front yard merged with the not-so-hot (IMO) Albert and Caterine, in full daylight? So many questions, so many direct hits to the face with a red bouncy ball before I get it.
Russell refuses to ply us with what I’d call stock images in your typical existential mystery caper – notice there are no night scenes in the whole movie, so there's no opportunity for Albert and Tommy (Mark Wahlberg) to lie on the grass and gaze up at the stars or down at the lights of L.A., wondering where we all came from.
In the scene where Bernard and Vivian are showing Albert a partially rolled-up poster of the universe, we don’t see a close-up of the poster. No, instead we’re treated to several shots of magnificent chalkboard artwork. For my money, that should have been the movie poster image. It’s all about connections, the atoms & Eves.
And Shania Twain.
“How am I not myself?” asks Brad (ubiquitous but mighty fine Jude Law). That’s a head scratcher fer sure. As for me and my blanket – one good turn and I'll get it all! |
_________________
My heart told my head: This time, no. |
|
| Back to top |
|
| yambu |
| Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2004 8:31 pm |
|
|
Joined: 23 May 2004
Posts: 6441
Location: SF Bay Area
|
| "....atoms and Eves..." HaHAHA!! Melody, your post is brilliant. Thankyou. |
_________________
That was great for you. How was it for me? |
|
| Back to top |
|
| marantzo |
| Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2004 8:58 pm |
|
|
|
Guest
|
| The universal place in life of everyone babble wasn't what bothered me. What bothered me was that it was a lousy movie and rather than funny, groan inducing. When they started the mumbo jumbo new agey stuff I was ready to go along for the ride, after all it was made out to look slightly ridiculous. But. It was badly written, terribly acted and directed like a bad high school play. The movie was crap and it didn't have anything to do with the subject matter, it had to do with the execution. I liked What The Bleep Do I Know which touched on the same kind of things (not a great movie I'll grant you) but a whole lot better than this one and much funnier. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| Melody |
| Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2004 9:04 pm |
|
|
|
Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 2242
Location: TX
|
And see, I walked out of What the Bleep -- IMO the crappiest bleepin' title in movie history -- right about the time Marlee Matlin watched Marlee Matlin walk by her as Marlee Matlin waited in line at the movies while voiceover Marlee Matlin says, "Which one is the real me?"
You're right, it IS funny! Guess I just wasn't in the mood. |
_________________
My heart told my head: This time, no. |
|
| Back to top |
|
| lshap |
| Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2004 11:03 pm |
|
|
Site Admin
Joined: 12 May 2004
Posts: 4246
Location: Montreal
|
Melody - Your post was brilliant. Quick, to the review forum!
Uhh...with your permission, of course. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| ehle64 |
| Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2004 11:08 pm |
|
|
Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 7149
Location: NYC; US&A
|
| Right now I'm in my tree and Melly Mel is there reviewing funny movies in her most excellent funny fashion and I'm whacking down billyweeds and marantzo posts with a machete. |
_________________
It truly disappoints me when people do something for you via no prompt of your own and then use it as some kind of weapon against you at a later time and place. It is what it is. |
|
| Back to top |
|
| Melody |
| Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2004 11:22 pm |
|
|
|
Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 2242
Location: TX
|
Thanks, guys. Y'all are so nice.
Please post in the Reviews forum, Lorne. |
_________________
My heart told my head: This time, no. |
|
| Back to top |
|
| Marj |
| Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2004 11:49 pm |
|
|
Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 10497
Location: Manhattan
|
Thank you, Melody. I feel like I know just as much about the movie now, as I did before before I read your review. But I do have a good sense about what it's all about. And how to approach the experience. That a lot better than a plot driven review, which I wouln't be able to read, anyway!
Now about your boyfriend? Hmmm. *w* |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| billyweeds |
| Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2004 1:30 am |
|
|
|
Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
|
| Meanwhile no one except me seems to have seen Sideways, by far the best movie of 2004 I have seen. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| Marc |
| Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2004 1:35 am |
|
|
Joined: 19 May 2004
Posts: 8424
|
Quote: Meanwhile no one except me seems to have seen Sideways, by far the best movie of 2004 I have seen.
not all of us live in a major city, numbnuts. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| Allie |
| Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2004 1:52 am |
|
|
|
Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 14
Location: Denver, CO
|
| Can't wait til Sideways gets here - combination of my favorite interests - wine, California wine country, iinteresting conversation, and wine. Did I say wine? |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| pedersencr |
| Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2004 4:36 am |
|
|
Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 921
Location: New Orleans
|
Excellent review, Melody!
That settles it for me.
Not even for Naomi Watts in a thong will I see the movie.
Sorry. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| Joe Vitus |
| Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2004 5:58 am |
|
|
Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 14498
Location: Houston
|
| Fuckin' kick ass post, Melody. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
