Movie Review: I Heart Huckabees

I Heart Huckabees: Torgo approves

M-N wants to note that this is a good movie to knit to. Lily Tomlin is actually seen knitting in the movie, though it was noted that she's an avid knitter.

Anyway, Huckabees is one of those movies where it looks like the actors are having lots of fun. Dustin Hoffman has looked this way in most of his movies since "Wag the Dog." Lily Tomlin usually looks like she's in on a joke, regardless of whether there is one or not. Mark Wahlberg finally looks comfortable and is very funny (I hear he's good in the Departed, too). Naomi Watts is a pretty face and, well, a pretty everything, but she's good as well.

Jude Law I just don't get. He's well cast, but he still can't hold an American accent. Worse, he's supposed to be from Ohio. A slight British inflection is one thing if you're from New England, NYC, etc, but not Ohio.

(Oh, and the lead, Jason Schwartzman, well, his whole thing is to look miserable, and he does that well.)

The plot, like the actors, has a lot of fun. Aside from the 'existential detectives,' there's an open space coalition that has meetings eerily like coalition mtgs I remember: chaotic free-for-alls. There's the corporate giant Huckabees, something akin to Wal-Mart, that's evil, sure, but its evilness is wisely underplayed.

What ties the movie together are the bits and pieces all working. There are many fine actors in very small roles. There are also many great little details, like the poetry, the bike riding, and Shania Twain.

It's odd fun, but definitely fun.