Saw I [heart] Huckabees today (anyone know the HTML code for a heart symbol? What are the other new media reviewers doing I wonder?). I really liked it. It reminded me, in its goofy, warm-hearted surrealism, of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which I thought was marvelous and is one of the few DVDs, at this point, that this poor grad student would be tempted to buy. I don't think Charlie Kaufman had a hand in this one, though David O. Russell (didn't they do a film together? Aside: just Googled Charlie Kaufman and had to tear myself away before I purchased the DVD of Eternal Sunshine online).
I should say, Huckabees also reminded me of Garden State. There seems to be a spate of goofy, warm-hearted surrealistic films coming out lately, a trend which I heartily applaud.
The direction was sure (as sure as surreal can be), the acting very good--I especially liked Dustin Hoffman and Lily Tomlin as the existential detectives, and Jason Schwartzman, last seen by this reviewer in Rushmore, another, need I say it, goofy, warm-hearted surrealistic film. Though, I must admit, I could see a little less Jude Law, who seems to be in every film coming out lately (was he in Vanity Fair? I think he was one of the dancers, in drag, in the Bollywood scene).
A couple observations I'd like to make. First, the philosophy behind the film is very zen buddhist. Impermanence and non-self, two of the three main "signs" of zen, are key concepts. Sure, they are ridiculed a little bit in the film, but it's part of a program of equal opportunity ridicule. And besides, zen buddhist history is replete with rogues who used roguery to teach these basic truths, including whacking students, a la Three Stooges, in the head.
And the great revelation of the main character, Albert...wait, should I reveal it? Let me just say that his combination of the "dark side" and the "light side" is basic buddhism: 1. there is suffering (dark side) but there is also 2. a way out of suffering (light side, consisting, for the most part, of paying attention to your suffering and learning to open your heart and let it teach you).
Second point: there is a lot of art and animation in the film which is clearly inspired by Photoshop and, I'm guessing, Flash. I suppose there was cutting-and-pasting of images before in film (most prominent example coming to mind being Salvador Dali's artwork in Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo), but programs like Photoshop and Flash have made it easy (and affordable), and much more common in films. I think this is definitely a case in which new media has infiltrated an older media, to the benefit of both.
I'm glad I got to put that in, since I've been categorizing my little film reviews as "new media" and I'm wondering how new a medium film is (better consult my Manevich).
And here's another new media angle, in fact an example of new media paratext: just a moment ago I went to the official film website and found it very diverting indeed. Even the whatchamacallit thingamajig that you watch while a page is loading is entertaining. Avail yourself of the opportunity to experience it yourself by following the link below.
Final word: Albert says of the rock he has saved from developers: "Rock, you rock!" The same goes for this film. ("Film, you film!").
http://www2.foxsearchlight.com/huckabees/
Posted by jeb at October 12, 2004 12:00 AM | TrackBack