Take 4: I Heart Viewer's Choice #4
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I Heart Huckabees (2004)
Recommended By: Most of the women in Michigan State University’s Anthropology graduate program, it seems. See…men do listen.
In a Nutshell: Albert Markovski, environmental advocate, (Jason Schwartzman) hires a husband and wife team of “existential detectives” (Dustin Hoffman and Lily Tomlin) to investigate a series of coincidences in his life. As the investigation ramps up, Albert’s very concept of reality and the interconnectedness of the universe undergoes some serious stress-tests. Also starring Mark Wahlberg, Jude Law, Naomi Watts and Isabelle Huppert
A Deeper Look: You’re about to encounter a comedic and metaphysical vision that scrutinizes the philosophy of reality. You kind of need to just let yourself go and be along for the ride. There are two commentary tracks (one with just the director, and one with the director, Jason Schwartzman, Mark Wahlberg, and Naomi Watts) that kind of help explain some of the elements. Kind of. Why two commentaries? Because they couldn’t get enough of the explanation out in one…yes, that’s how heavy this movie is.
Random Trivia: The role of Dawn proved pretty difficult to fill. Gwyneth Paltrow was supposed to take the role, but she dropped out because of the death of her father. Next, Nicole Kidman became linked to the project, but could not ultimately play the part due to filming The Stepford Wives. Britney Spears even auditioned for the role…twice. Finally, Jennifer Aniston was considered…but, ultimately, the director’s first choice, Naomi Watts, was signed on.
And the Award Goes To: In the category of “Best Elevator Fight Scene,” the award goes to Schwartzman and Law. It’s 
toward the end of the movie, and pretty damn comical, especially when Shania Twain kinda comes out of nowhere and jumps in.
And I Quote: Vivian: ‘Have you ever transcended space and time?’ Albert: ‘Yes. No. Uh, time, not space... No, I don't know what you're talking about.’
And What Did We Learn Today, Class?: 1) Everything is interconnected. 2) Nothing is interconnected. 3) Happiness comes from finding the truth that lies somewhere between the two prior statements.
Curt's Take: “Not a Priority” – It pains me to give it this rating, which technically falls just within the lower half of my rating scale. I do have to say, if you’re in a metaphysical/existential mood, and into pondering the greater meaning of mankind’s interconnected to the universe, bump this up to a “Worth Considering.” Usually I’m down for that, so maybe I’m just having an off day. For me, this contained a top-notch cast and some brilliant acting…but I just wasn’t that into the story/message that was being laid out in front of me.
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Team America: World Police (2004)
Recommended By: Chad Haus, next-cube neighbor at work. He’s only seen this movie and Bridges of Madison County, so it’s not like I had a lot to choose from here.
In a Nutshell: Gary Johnston is recruited to join Team America: World Police to stop a major terrorist plot that is being hatched by the evil dictator, Kim Jong Il. Oh, yeah…and the entire movie is acted out by marionettes.
A Deeper Look: Brought to you by Trey Parker and Matt Stone (creators of South Park), this will likely be the most extreme puppet movie you ever see…until they come out with a sequel, at least. Fight scenes. Explosions. Evisceration. Sex. It’s insane. The special features really take you pretty in-depth into how it was all created, with no less than seven featurettes covering everything from how the puppets were made to the detail gone into in the set design. Very interesting stuff. There are also a couple screen tests and some animated storyboards you can likely just skip, but I would take the time to check out the set of outtakes/deleted scenes.
Random Trivia: Household objects were used as props in order to, according to Parker and Stone, remind the audience of the actual size of the puppets. A pair of nail clippers can be seen on a Team America utility belt in their first scene; in Cairo, a citizen is carrying a basket of Goldfish snacks on his head; and a set of palm trees have leaves made out of dollar bills. Even the village outside of Kim Jong Il’s castle is made of Chinese take-out containers.
And the Award Goes To: In the category of “Strange Bedroom Sequences,” the award goes to Gary and Lisa, members of Team America. It starts out as odd…and quickly proceeds through uncomfortable and startling into the realm of deeply disturbing.
And I Quote: Kim Jong Il: “Herro!”
And What Did We Learn Today, Class?: 1) Actors are evil. 2) All Middle Easterners sound the same. 3) America may be a dick on the world stage, but we get things done.
Curt's Take: “Worth Considering” – Very funny…laugh out loud at points. I’d even go so far as to bump this up to “Must See” for anyone who is into the technical aspects of film. The things that were done here with miniatures, from the puppets to the sets to the costumes, was sheer genius. Parker and Stone basically wanted to make a legitimate action movie, only with marionettes. In doing so, they assumed the comedic aspects would come across naturally…and they were right. I do have to warn…in typical South Park-fashion, the humor isn’t for everyone. Finally, in a weird “everything is connected” side note, there is one scene in the movie where an AMC movie theater gets blown up. One of the movies playing there: I Heart Huckabees.
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Heat (1995)
Recommended By: Erik DeLeo…co-worker, copywriter and nemesis.
In a Nutshell: Neil McCauley (Robert DeNiro) is a professional (yet sociopathic) criminal who tries to score on several pretty lucrative targets, only to be dogged at every step by Lt. Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino), who develops a grudging respect for the thief.
A Deeper Look: The cast doesn’t just contain a couple well-known actors…it’s filled with them. Besides DeNiro and Pacino, you also have Val Kilmer, Jon Voight, Tom Sizemore, Ashley Judd and Natalie Portman. Lesser known, but still people you’ll recognize: Dennis Haysbert, Ted Levine, Hank Azaria, Tone Loc, Henry Rollins, Jeremy Piven. Excellent cast. The “Special Edition” of the DVD comes along with commentary by director/writer Michael Mann, which is worth listening to if you loved the movie. He fills in a lot of the background on how the movie was researched and gives some interesting insights into how it was filmed. Apparently there was also a second DVD containing various featurettes on the making of the film, but I didn’t find out until it was too late. My guess: if you love the movie, check out the additional DVD.
Random Trivia: The meeting between DeNiro and Pacino over coffee was shot at Kate Mantilini on Wilshire Blvd. in Beverly Hills. The L.A. mainstay is a noted hot-spot for a stylish late supper. The restaurant now has "Heat" spelled in neon above the door and a large poster of the actors in their now famous scene. Diners may request the very table featured in the scene, table #71, which wait staff are familiar with as "The Table", and they are happy to seat DeNiro/Pacino fans at their famous meeting place.
And the Award Goes To: In the category of “Most Elaborate Shoot-Out in a City Street,” the award goes to the makers of Heat. Tons of demolished vehicles, loads of automatic weapons, and pretty damn interesting to watch unfold.
And I Quote: Hanna: “You know, we are sitting here, you and I, like a couple of regular fellas. You do what you do, and I do what I gotta do. And now that we've been face to face, if I'm there and I gotta put you away, I won't like it. But I tell you, if it's between you and some poor bastard whose wife you're gonna turn into a widow, brother, you are going down.” McCauley: “There is a flip side to that coin. What if you do got me boxed in and I gotta put you down? Cause no matter what, you will not get in my way. We've been face to face, yeah. But I will not hesitate. Not for a second.”
And What Did We Learn Today, Class?: 1) Never get attached to anything you can’t walk away from in thirty seconds. 2) Know your crew. 3) It’s hard to make it through a 171-minute movie in one sitting.
Curt's Take: “Worth Considering” – Very good movie. In fact, if you are a die-hard fan of any of the actors in this, consider bumping it up to a “Must See.” If you live in LA, you may want to be sure to check it out because it was filmed pretty much entirely on location around the city, with no soundstages. You’ll recognize a lot of places, which is kind of neat. Took me several viewings to get through it, though, and even watched the first hour of it twice…but this helped me follow things much closer, actually, and helped make sense of some things that confused me. With the additional viewing, I began to notice all sorts of relationship parallels in the film: McCauley’s crew and Hanna’s team, the various romantic relationships that the characters are involved in, honor vs. dishonor. Again, you’ll eat up Mann’s commentary track if that sort of thing floats your boat.
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Thumbsucker (2005)
Recommended By: Former Spartan classmate and current LA drinking buddy, Ryan Greenwood, whose thing is “girls who work in the service industry.” He even has a t-shirt that says so…long story.
In a Nutshell: Justin Cobb (Lou Pucci), a 17-year-old high school senior, still sucks his thumb. He ends up turning to medication to deal with the anxiety is he having, which leads to both breakthroughs and turmoil in his life and the lives of those around him.
A Deeper Look: Don’t know if I would have noticed this if Ryan (the recommender) hadn’t pointed it out, but as you watch, you begin to realize that everyone in the film is a thumbsucker to some extent…they all have their little security blankets that they refuse to let go of. Very interesting to pick these out as you watch. If that sort of thing interests you, definitely check out the commentary of Mike Mills, the director. You can tell he’s really proud of what he created, and his enthusiasm draws you in. There’s also a behind-the-scenes short feature that is kind of interesting, and a filmed conversation between the director and the author of the book on which the movie was based, Walter Kirn (which, although a bit intellectual, probes pretty deeply into the movie’s/book’s underlying themes). Apparently the director’s blog is also located on the DVD…but I sure as hell couldn’t find it.
Random Trivia: Lou Pucci and the actors who played his dad, mom and little brother (Vincent D’Onofrio, Tilda Swinton and Chase Offerle) did improvisational exercises for two weeks prior to shooting in order to figure the ins and outs of their family life. This included waking up in the house that they were filming in to figure out their morning routines and going shopping at the local mall together, in character.
And the Award Goes To: In the category of “Most Surprisingly Decent Performance,” the winner is Keanu Reeves, in the role of Dr. Perry Lyman, Justin’s orthodontist. He does a remarkably good job, and doesn’t come off as Ted “Theodore” Logan at all.
And I Quote: Dr. Perry Lyman: “We all wanna be problemless. To fix ourselves. We look for some magic solution to make us all better, but none of us really know what we're doing. And why is that so bad? That's all we humans can do. Guess. Try. Hope. But, Justin, just pray you don't fool yourself into thinking you've got the answer. Because that's bullshit. The trick is living without an answer. I think.”
And What Did We Learn Today, Class?: 1) There’s a reason it’s called “Debate Club,” not “Agree Club.” 2) Dentists who practice hypnosis are a vanishing profession. 3) Parents are still growing up in a lot of ways, too.
Curt's Take: “Must See” – Really, really liked this. But given some of the other films I watched in this set of reviews, I had to ask myself, why did this rise to the top for me? I think it has to do with the immensely relatable nature of the characters. The feelings they go through during the course of the film were able to strike a chord inside me that the other films couldn’t. Pucci is a great young newcomer, and Swinton and D’Onofrio do an excellent job playing struggling and uncertain parents who find it easier to be friends than role models. Even Vince Vaughn, who plays Justin’s debate team coach, brings to his role unexpected warmth and understanding. Great cast and very enjoyable film.
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Next Time on Take 4: Bouncing back to the small screen, with Season Four of the hit show Six Feet Under.
posted by Curt at 4:20 PM
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