With a healthy Film Contentiousness Quotient of 48.29 (details on the math here), David O. Russel’s bizarre comedy about metaphysical detectives is the tenth film to earn the dubious honor of a place in our canon of contentious movies. At the end of this post, we’ve listed all the films which have so far been featured.
The plot, as far as the word applies to I Heart Huckabees, concerns a young man who is freaked out by the strange coincidences he sees all over. He hires the services of a existential detective agency to help him figure out the meaning of his life… and in the words of the director himself, “hilarity ensues“.
Or not. No one argues the film is clever and original, but claims that it is “hilarious” are tenuous. A lot of people found the wacky humor and quirky philosophy spot-on, but just as many agreed with the Christopher Smith’s description of it, as “a high-concept, high-minded piece of pseudointellectual trash” (Bangor Daily News).
I Heart Huckabees
- Great! (56%, 9 Votes)
- Terrible! (44%, 7 Votes)
Total Voters: 16
Loading ...Here are a couple battling opinions from Criticker users.
Tate: “Zany, whack-fest with hilarious moments and unusual but terrific performances. Not really seen anything like it.”
Shmendrek: “One of the most painfully pretentious films I’ve ever seen. Beware the type of person who enjoys this film.”
And last week’s poll is closed, on Transformers. By a pretty wide margin, Criticker users have deemed it TERRIBLE. Poor Shia!
As promised, here’s a list of the films we’ve featured so far in order of how contentious they are. We’ll keep this list up-to-date as we feature more and more films with a high FCQ.
1. Eyes Wide Shut – FCQ 59.33 – Poll Result: GREAT!
2. King Kong – FCQ 52.74 – Poll Result: GREAT!
3. I Am Sam – FCQ 52.61 – Poll Result: TERRIBLE!
4. Dumb & Dumber – FCQ 52.01 – Poll Result: GREAT!
5. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest – FCQ 51.13 – Poll Result: TERRIBLE!
6. Brotherhood of the Wolf – FCQ 49.2 – Poll Result: GREAT!
7. I Heart Huckabees – FCQ 49.05 – Poll Result: pending…
8. Saw – FCQ 48.77 – Poll Result: TIE!
9. Transformers – FCQ 46.93 – Poll Result: TERRIBLE!
10. Marie Antoinette – FCQ 45.44 – Poll Result: GREAT!
Set in Sin City, story revolves around two people who discover they’ve gotten married following a night of debauchery, with one of them winning a huge jackpot after playing the other’s quarter. Unhappy pair try to undermine each other and get their hands on the money — falling in love along the way. 
SON OF RAMBOW is the name of the home movie made by two little boys with a big video camera and even bigger ambitions. Set on a long English summer in the early 80′s, SON OF RAMBOW is a comedy about friendship, faith and the tough business of growing up… 
A fateful event leads to a job in the film business for top mixed-martial arts instructor Mike Terry. Though his refuses to participate in prize bouts, circumstances conspire to force him to consider entering such a competition. 
Morgan Spurlock tours the Middle East to discuss the war on terror with Arabic people. 
Tom Ludlow is a veteran LAPD cop who finds life difficult to navigate after the death of his wife. When evidence implicates him in the execution of a fellow officer, he is forced to go up against the cop culture he’s been a part of his entire career, ultimately leading him to question the loyalties of everyone around him. 
Guinevere Pettigrew, a middle-aged London governess, finds herself unfairly dismissed from her job. An attempt to gain new employment catapults her into the glamorous world and dizzying social whirl of an American actress and singer, Delysia Lafosse. 
Donnas senior prom is supposed to be the best night of her life, one of magic, beauty, and love. Surrounded by her best friends, she should be safe from the horrors of her past. But when the night turns from magic to murder there is only one man who could be responsible, the man she thought was gone forever. Now, Donna and her friends must find a way to escape the sadistic rampage of an obsessed killer, and survive their Prom Night. 
A dramatic thriller about Diana, a suburban wife and mother who begins to question her seemingly perfect life–and perhaps her sanity–on the 15th anniversary of a tragic high school shooting that took the life of her best friend… 
A 3-D concert film of the 2007 Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus tour. 
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