This is a very odd little film that is either trying to capture the essence of existentialism or satirize it. As I understand it, existentialism is a multifaceted philosophy that suggests that Man has free will and, although some aspects of life are totally absurd, we must make sometimes-stressful decisions that usually have some adverse effects. And once a decision is made, the decision-maker has the obligation to follow through. This precisely describes the nature and situation of the film's main protagonist, Albert Markovski (Jason Schwartzman).

He's an environmental activist dedicated to saving wetlands, marshes, forests... he's the quintessential extremist, breaking through the asphalt of a mall's paved parking lot to plant a tree. Markovski and his organization are facing the difficult challenge of saving a marshland scheduled for commercial development, a cause he takes up with a vengeance. But it soon becomes clear that his motivations are not entirely noble. He craves approval and fame, thrusting his face into situations - ostensibly to help his cause - making him the center of attention. Reciting poems for the press is not an effective strategy for an environmental activist.

A series of coincidences bring him to the offices of a remarkably quirky investigation organization: Existential Detectives. Markovski has run into a tall, thin African American on three recent occasions and he can't get the coincidence out of his mind. When he finds the Existential Detectives' business card in the pocket a restaurant's jacket reserved for the underdressed, he cannot resist. The two agency principals are Bernard Jaffe (Dustin Hoffman) and his wife, Vivian (Lily Tomlin), and a more eccentric duo would be hard to find.

What services do the Existential Detectives provide? Vivian follows the subject everywhere, taking notes, photographs, voice recordings, and accumulates data for an existential analysis (apparently even bowel movements and masturbation are critical to her dataset). Bernard waxes philosophic, counseling the client on new and metaphysical ways of thinking. The detectives live up to their philosophy; even their contract forbids either the client or the firm to halt the investigation until it is resolved ("the decision-maker has the obligation to follow through").

Across town, fireman Tommy Corn (Mark Wahlberg) - an environmental activist in his own right who insists that we all stop using oil - is having an existential crisis. He recently finished reading a book by the very French Caterine Vauban (Isabelle Huppert), the Jaffe's existential rival and one who has a very different slant on existence. She embraces the dark notion that life is without meaning; she is an existential atheist. Corn is plunged into hopelessness.

There two more principal players in this cosmic comedy: Brad Stand (Jude Law) and Dawn Campbell (Naomi Watts). He's an ambitious golden boy junior executive at Huckabees (a Walmart surrogate); she's his girlfriend, the official Huckabees' spokeswoman who uses bubble-headed sex appeal to sell Huckabees products. He jumps onto the save-the-wetlands campaign, underwriting Markovski's Open Space Coalition, to help Huckabees' image (and for a few other self-serving reasons). All these characters collide and cavort in a droll plotline that examines life and indirectly demonstrates the tenets of existentialism (or perhaps, more accurately, Karma).

Alas, the film did not engage me. I'm inclined to agree with Vauban; it all seems so pointless. The Markovski and Corn characters are so annoying that I found myself squirming in my theater seat. I was reminded of similar feelings I had while watching Vince Vaughn's Ricky Slade in Made. Brad Stand is transparently sleazy, and despite Jude Law's convincing American accent, his character isn't very sympathetic either. With whom am I to identify? Hoffman and Tomlin steal the film, providing delightfully off-centered performances. They glibly amuse; their humor is perfectly dry, their performances dead serious and wonderfully absurd. But it simply wasn't enough.

One could argue that the film is about enlightenment... or about the forces of existential light and dark coming together in a philosophical center ground that strengthens them both. One could argue that isolated scenes that provoke the occasional giggle define this as a worthy comedy. One could argue that this film should be considered a brave effort by director and co-writer David O. Russell and screenwriter Jeff Baena. Or one could choose not to argue.

The Video: How Does The Disc Look?

The film's theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 is presented in anamorphic video. For Fox, which has managed to offer some very fine transfers since the disappointment of Phantom Menace pushed them toward the dramatic improvement of Attack of the Clones. This is a regression. Visible edge halos are present. The images have been low-passed, so there is an apparent softness. Fine textures and small object detail are not up to Fox's typical recent DVD. Color rendition looks quite fine, with natural skin tones and vivid primary colors. As I write this review, I don't recall any dark scenes in which shadow detail may be judged. Based on the visible textures within dark clothing, I'd have to judge it to be quite all right. I didn't notice any mosquito noise or macroblocking.

A second transfer in 1.33:1 pan and scan may be found on a second side.

The Audio: How Does The Disc Sound?

The front channels dominate the Dolby Digital 5.1 track. There is the occasional use of the surrounds for off-screen action and ambiance, but such effects are infrequent. EX decoding will neither help nor harm the audio playback. Sound effects simply service the onscreen action and don't require either outstanding dynamic range or exceptionally deep bass. The original score by Jon Brion is pleasantly conveyed. When the dialog had been recorded quite dry - looped - there is a terrific sense of presence; regardless, all the spoken words are conveyed distortion-free.

The alternative language is in Spanish, presented in Dolby Surround 2.0. Optional subtitles are in Spanish and English, for which Closed Captions are included.

Supplements: What Goodies Are There?

There are only two supplements on this DVD and they are both commentaries. The first is by director David O. Russell. In the second, director David O. Russell is joined by Jason Schwartzman, Mark Wahlberg, and Naomi Watts.

Russell's solo monologue describes the background and the casting. He talks about the inspirations for the film and its script. We learn that many of the ideas and incidents sprang from his life experiences, and we learn that he has a spiritual side, having studied philosophies including those from the Far East. He sometimes waxes philosophic, but more seriously than Bernard Jaffe. I found him interesting, but didn't come away any more enlightened than I was when I first saw the closing credits roll.

The second track is a little lighter in tone, with the actors amused and amusing one another. Even Russell seems more relaxed here. The content leans more toward the making of the film. We learn of locations, shooting order, and hear about a few anecdotes from the production. There is a bit of mutual backslapping as they admire each other's work during the film. Russell does drift off into abstractions once in a while, but his fellow commentators prevent him from digressing too far. Pleasant, but not compelling.

That's all I found, but for fans of the film, there's another edition with two discs. I'm confident that the supplement disc from that set contains all kinds of goodies, but we weren't sent that version to review. Sorry.

The 106-minute feature film is organized into twenty-four chapters.

Exclusive DVD-ROM Features: What happens when you pop the disc into your PC?

There are no DVD-ROM features on this DVD.

Final Thoughts

By now I think you've noticed that I found I Heart Huckabees a bit of a disappointment. The film held out great promise: subject matter with wonderful potential, a cast populated by talented and engaging players, and a director who's had previous triumphs. The disc offers a modest transfer, reasonably good sound, and minimal supplements. As you consider your buy decision, remember: you have free will.