The Big Lebowski is one of the greatest comedies of all time and indeed a modern classic...

Rating: 10/10 (11 May 2009)

The Big Lebowski (1998)
Top 5 - 1998
The story goes as follows: Jeff Bridges stars as Jeffrey Lebowski, an unemployed Los Angeles slacker an avid bowler, who refers to himself as "the Dude".
After being mistaken for a multimillionaire who has the same name, Lebowski is commissioned to deliver a million-dollar ransom in order to secure the release of the millionaire's kidnapped trophy wife. The plan goes awry, and the Dude's friend Walter Sobchak (John Goodman) further complicates the ordeal. The film is narrated by a cowboy known only as "Stranger", played by Sam Elliott. Steve Buscemi, Philip Seymour Hoffman, David Huddleston, Julianne Moore, Tara Reid and John Turturro also star in the film. The film's structure has been compared to Raymond Chandler's novel The Big Sleep. The original score was composed by Carter Burwell, a longtime collaborator of the Coen Brothers.
The Big Lebowski has the Coens on top creative form, creating a bizarre, visually exciting modern cult classic. Jeff Bridges as "The Dude", John Goodman as his slightly psychotic Vietnam war veteran friend provide excellent performances with additional support from Steve Buscemi (an underrated talent) and the fantastic John Turturro in a small role as a crazy bowler named Jesus. The screenplay is fantastic, the photography by Roger Deakins is effective once more and the film itself is one of the most entertaining pictures I have ever seen. The Coens are true masters of modern cinema. Although the film has been criticised by many film critics for its structure, themes and absurd showiness by the Coens, I found the experience to be pure cinematic nirvana!
Excellent, surreal comedy
9/10