Grade: D- | Genre: Comedy Summary: Just because a film is labeled as an independent certainly doesn't make it a good film. Use whatever creative licenses you like but don't bury your audience in utter senselessness. Unless you are a complete sadist, stay away from this film. Far, far away.

Starring: Jason Schwartzman, Jude Law, Naomi Watts, Dustin Hoffman and Mark Wahlberg
Director: David Russell

I Heart Huckabees or otherwise known as Existentialism: the Movie is one of the strangest movies I have ever seen. Who in their right mind would have ever sat down and thought, "Yeah, we should make a movie based around the revolving theme of existentialism." The one thought that was echoing through my head as I was watching this was Sartre is probably rolling over in his grave right about now. This movie is such a discombobulated mess. Plot you say. There was a plot?

Hmm...well Albert, played by Jason Schwartzman, visits a husband and wife team of existential investigators (they are to philosophy what psychiatrists are to psychology) about a coincidence. He runs into a tall African American gentleman at three seemingly unrelated places. He wants to know how this coincidence figures into his larger purpose in life. Seriously that is the core point of this film. So these investigators follow Albert's every move and the new philosophy that he starts to adopt completely screws up everything in his life. To add insult to injury, other people around Albert seeing how screwed up his is becoming sign on for their own existential purpose finding and, you guessed it, their lives go down the toilet as well. To further complicate matters, a second existential detective enters whose method is in direct opposition to the first team's efforts. If this all sounds as clear as muddy water, don't worry because the film makes it ten fold more needlessly complicated than what I've stated. Out of a cast of solid stars (Jude Law, Naomi Watts, Dustin Hoffman and Mark Wahlberg) everyone either overacts or just bugs out save for Wahlberg. His characters over the top, manic-aggressive, petroleum fanatic is hilarious. He steals every scene he's in. Really the only thing keeping you from turning this off is the humor. When these existential patients run into normal people complete chaos ensues. The dinner scene is priceless and coupled with the open mind therapy it's almost worth suffering through the remaining two hours of confusion. Also I can say you will see things in this film you've never seen before like dunking one's head in a puddle of mud as foreplay. Granted there is probably a reason you haven't seen it before. Just because a film is labeled as an independent certainly doesn't make it a good film. Use whatever creative licenses you like but don't bury your audience in utter senselessness. Unless you are a complete sadist, stay away from this film. Far, far away. As a final note, if I ever see the ravishing Naomi Watts in a bonnet with black gunk enmeshed between her teeth again I probably will have a brain aneurysm.

If you are looking for an interesting, quirky indie flick stear clear of this garbage and gravitate towards anything by the Andersons (Paul Thomas or Wes). Magnolia, Punch Drunk Love or The Royal Tenenbaums are all choice picks for your viewing pleasure. Queue one up at Netflix.