Latest Film Review
Blog - “I Heart Huckabees” and “Invention
of Lying”
Fun!
Today I’m reviewing two films that I watched
back-to-back. The David O. Russell film “I
Heart Huckabees” and the Ricky Gervais film “The Invention of Lying.”
The only things these films have in common are they are both
comedies and they both have Jonah Hill in them.
I landed on “Huckabees” for two reasons. Reason one was that I watched the massive
scream fest that the director had with Lily Tomlin when it showed up on
YouTube.
It is such a visceral stream of yelling and swearing I still
kind of wonder when I hear actors talk of David O. Russell as being a “Great director”
and would love to work with him again.
Now, granted, the issue may be Lily Tomlin and she may have just pushed
Russell to the edge and, finally, over it but in the scream match Russell says
that he’s “worked on this for three years” (in between the drops of the “f-bomb,”
etc.).
Dustin Hoffman and Lily Tomlin not in "screaming obscenity mode"
Number two was that my friend Keith said that it was one of
his favorite films.
As for number one, having watched the film I can kinda see
where both are coming from. Lily
for having to remember all these
convoluted lines that make sense on some levels and don’t make sense on other
levels and Russell for fighting for three years to even get this made and
seeing why, maybe, studios weren’t jonesing for a film about existential
detectives. I still found the film
enjoyable on a lot of levels until it kind of peters out near the end. It’s an idea that I think can only go so far
in its mumbo-jumbo-ness and then, basically, sort of end.
Wrong Huckabee
As a screenwriter I enjoyed the pushing the envelope of
nonsensicalness of a lot of it, the big ideas that Russell is trying to get across
and the overall silliness of the picture.
As a screenwriting teacher I fear there are students out there that want
to “say something deep and meaningful” and feel that the best way to do it is
like this. But not make it a comedy and
then also make it really really SUPER serious.
For all first time screenwriters out there...don’t try to copy Russell
or Woody Allen or Tarantino or Kaufmann because most studio heads – even if
they read your script – are going to shake their heads in disbelief. Those are all brilliant writers and/or
directors who are proven...you’re not.
Happy times? All is forgiven? I wonder...
The other thing that got me about “Huckabees” is that there’s
really no subtext to the story. Asking
what the story is about is kind of redundant because everyone in the film is
talking about what the story is about.
There’s no deeper meaning because they’re all talking about deeper
meanings.
What's the story? To really tell you anything would be telling you too much. Just note that Shania Twain is mentioned...A LOT. Best for you to watch and experience and enjoy. It is, actually, pretty fun.
Shifting over to subtext, we turn to: “The Invention of Lying.”
It's a poster!
Being a comedy about the only person who lies is a great
pitch. Sometimes a film comes along with
such a perfect simple idea that it leaps from the page and smacks me in the
face. Often times those ideas are
quickly followed by me saying: “Why didn’t
I think of that?”
Though I found the film to be fun and funny it really didn’t
add up to a whole lot to me. To give you
a quick overview of the story, Ricky Gervais plays a screenwriter who lives in
a world where no-one lies. Actually that’s
a bit of a misnomer, not only does no-one lie – they freely give you their
opinion on things, feelings be damned. I
can certainly imagine a world where no one lies, but I can’t imagine a world
where people just say, straight up: “I
went to the bathroom and had a big poop.”
Or: “You’re fat and ugly and I’m not
attracted to you.” Now if you actually
ASKED the person what they did in the bathroom or actually ASKED the person
what they thought of you, then, yeah, sure – they can’t lie. But I would think, pretty quickly, in this
world you WOULDN’T ask. I mean, why would
you? But, in this world Gervais created,
not only does no one lie, they also tell you exactly what is on their mind –
constantly. And...I don’t buy that.
Gervais' Love Interest but there's really nothing about her that is, actually, interesting.
Moving along – Gervais finds himself being fired and stuck
wanting a woman who doesn’t want him and then he tells a lie and the world
opens up to him. Finally, as he’s
watching his mother die, he tells her about Heaven and suddenly he’s become the
next Moses with the commandments written on pizza boxes (Pizza Hut in one of
the MANY MANY product placements.)
Everyone wants to know about the “Man in the Sky” and the film’s subtext
comes shining through in regards to: “This
is a film written and co-directed by an Atheist about how we’re all fools to be
following around and counting on the “big guy in the sky” lie.”
Caution - there is product placement in this scene.
Catholics didn't care for it:
This Atheist loved it:
Gervais, mind you, does a fantastic job acting and he sees
the hurt and confusion he brings onto people as he talks of this “God” that he
knows is a lie and it all eventually gets him where he wants to go – in the
loving arms of his beloved woman – but I still thought it all a bit of a shrug.
Here’s where I think it goes wrong: 10 seconds into the film. You see the film starts with Gervais speaking
over the credits. I initially thought
that I had somehow started the film with the commentary on. By undercutting the film immediately
with: “This bloke is going to lie in a
few minutes, so be aware of that...” it immediately distances the viewer with
the film. Where I also felt the film
went wrong was that it didn’t go far enough.
Too often things were sort of glossed over with a montage or music
video. If you’re going to make a comedy
about there not being a God but everyone believing there IS one – then REALLY
mock it up. (see “Life of Brian”) Really take believers to task. Instead it’s not risky enough for me to think
they’re pushing the envelope – I certainly wasn’t offended but, I’m sure, some
were. Even when Gervais appears to be
like Jesus Christ. Heck, the scene with
the 10 Commandment pizza boxes seemed to go on for about 10 minutes. Funny moments? Yes.
Great cameos from some actors?
You betcha. Jonah Hill? Gotcha.
But overall? Meh.
Good cast - marginal movie.
Now if you can combine existential detectives tracking down
a God complex in a small pudgy man...
