Enormously Entertaining

Rating: 10/10 (23 October 2012)

The Big Lebowski is a comedy written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Jeff Bridges stars as Jeff Lebowski, an unemployed Los Angeles slacker and avid bowler, who is referred to as "The Dude". After a case of mistaken identity, The Dude is introduced to a millionaire also named Jeffrey Lebowski. When the millionaire Lebowski's trophy wife is later kidnapped, he commissions The Dude to deliver the ransom to secure her release. The plan goes awry when The Dude's friend Walter Sobchak schemes to keep the full ransom.John Goodman,Steve Buscemi, Philip Seymour Hoffman, David Huddleston, Julianne Moore, Tara Reid, and John Turturro co-star to play key supporting roles.It is loosely based on Raymond Chandler's novel, The Big Sleep.
Typically stunning visuals and sharp dialogue from the Coen Brothers, brought to life with strong performances from Goodman and Bridges. After the tight plotting and quirky intensity of Fargo, this casually amusing follow-up from the prolifically inventive Coen brothers seems like a bit of a lark. The plot--which finds Lebowski involved in a kidnapping scheme after he's mistaken for a rich guy with the same name- -is almost beside the point. What counts here is a steady cascade of hilarious dialogue, great work from Coen regulars John Goodman and Steve Buscemi, and the kind of cinematic ingenuity that puts the Coens in a class all their own. The result is a lot of laughs and a feeling of awe toward the craftsmanship involved.It was enormously entertaining.