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CINEMA NIRVANA BLOG
I ♥ Huckabees!
by Poep Sa Frank Jude Boccio
Saturday, September 25, 7:30 PM
Perhaps one of the more puzzling titles for a movie, people refer to this film from David O. Russell as I Heart Huckabees or I Love Huckabees, and I’ve even seen some folk say, “I <then they 'draw' a heart in the air> Huckabees"! This 2004 film has been called a "philosophical comedy" and reunited director Russell with actor Mark Wahlberg (who appeared in Russell’s 1999 film Three Kings) and with actress Lily Tomlin (who appeared in his 1996 film Flirting With Disaster).
The narrative of this film revolves around Albert Markovski (Jason Schwartzman) who contacts two "existential detectives," Bernard and Vivian Jaffe (Dustin Hoffman and Lily Tomlin) after seeing the same conspicuous stranger three times. They take on the case in order to solve the coincidence. Unsatisfied with their investigation and spurred on by another of the couple's unsatisfied clients, Tommy Corn (Wahlberg) seeks out Caterine Vauban (Isabelle Huppert), a former student of the Jaffes who espouses an apparently opposing philosophy.
An obviously philosophical film, many viewers never suspected that Buddhist Russell was indeed offering a film version of an on-going debate between the two major schools of Mahayana Buddhist philosophy: the Yogacara and the Madhyamika.
When Russell was asked in an interview on the Suicide Girls website, "How do you describe I Heart Huckabees?" he responded:
"Here’s how I described it to the people who financed the movie: Dustin Hoffman and Lily Tomlin are existential detectives who you could hire to investigate the meaning of your life. They are formal, they wear suits, they are Paris-trained and their clients include Jude Law, Naomi Watts, Jason Schwartman and Mark Wahlberg. Their nemesis is Isabelle Huppert. Hilarity ensues."
The film opened October 1, 2004 and while some critics were displeased with the existential subject matter, others celebrated its originality and its performances, especially Wahlberg’s.
Please join me and Cinema Nirvana, September 25th at 7:30 PM at Tucson Yoga for a screening of this funny and profound film, free popcorn, and a Dharma Talk!
Metta,
Frank Jude
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