What to Rent on DVD - I Heart Huckabees

This 2004 film deemed an "existential comedy" stars Jason Schwartzman (Rushmore), as Albert, a man who needs help finding out what his coincidental meetings with a tall African man really mean. In effect, he begins to unravel through the help of his existential detectives (Dustin Hoffman and Lily Tomlin), his enemies (Jude Law, Naomi Watts and the Huckabees company), and his strange friends (Mark Wahlberg and Isabelle Huppert) what life is really all about and how to conquer it.

Albert finds a card for the existential detectives in someone else's jacket pocket, which leads him to Hoffman and Tomlin, a married couple whom are also partners in an existential detective agency. These characters, Bernard and Vivian, find out the mysteries of one's life and try to teach the meaning of life to their clients by entering and exploring the truth in their lives.

They are quite the upfront characters in everything they say and do. They are not afraid to tell Albert exactly what they think his problem is. It's very refreshing to have bold characters in a film whose philosophy is to find the truth about the world. The two contend that life is all a connected in such a way that we've never seen in a film before. The special effects of this film show us undoubtedly that Vivian and Bernard can see more than we can.

But Albert also has to deal with his work situation besides his coincidence. Jude Law plays Brad Stand, an executive whose girlfriend (Watts) is the face of Huckabees, the Everything Store. They are the epitome of the shallow executive world that Albert hates, being an environmentalist who wants to save the world.

In Mark Wahlberg (Tommy), Albert finds friend who leads him to another existentialist bordering on nihilism. To Tommy, the world means nothing, nothing matters, the complete opposite of what the detectives want Albert to believe. This comedy is strangely put together by a filmmaker and writer who are philosophers at heart. You don't see many philosophical films out there that actually talk about philosophy. It's an intelligent comedy that also entertains us with it's dry humor from the character's breakdowns.

Albert, his friends and his enemies go through the philosophical change that they weren't ready for yet. But finding out about themselves and the how the world works really works in the film and it is not one to miss. You will be left with a sense of "Huh?" but you will also be able to evaluate your life and ask yourself the question "How am I not myself?"