Classic Comedy with Some Terrific Performances

Rating: Null/10 (24 June 2011)

Big Lebowski, The (1998)
*** (out of 4)
"The Dude" Lebowski (Jeff Bridges) gets mistaken for a millionaire Lebowski and soon he's pulled into a big mystery when that rich guy's skank girlfriend is kidnapped by some unknown men. Soon The Dude must try and figure out who's pulling all the strings but of course in between his bowling league and dope. The "plot" of THE BIG LEBOWSKI is probably the least important thing because as a mystery it really doesn't work for a couple reasons. One is that it's too easy to figure out what really happened and the second is that you really don't care too much. The movie works because of the terrific characters and I don't think it's an overstatement to say that they're some of the most memorable of any film of the decade. The screenplay by the Coen brothers works so well because the characters are so well developed and they've gotten some incredibly talented actors to bring them to life. Even the smallest parts in the film feature a fair number of known actors including a few who would go onto win Oscars. The entire film goes around Bridges who is pitch-perfect as The Dude. This laid back type of character is one Bridges had been playing for decades by this point but add in the dope, the strange dialogue and the supporting characters and you can say you've never seen a lazy bum like this one. Bridges is just so believable in the part that you not once feel as if you're seeing a performance but instead you're seeing a real loser caught up in the situation. John Goodman plays his Vietnam buddy and it's a real shame that he gets so overlooked because he delivers perhaps the funniest performance in the film. Countless movies have done the "crazed Vietnam" bit to death but Goodman comes across so original that you can't help but feel that he's one of the best who has ever done it. I just love the way he's able to go from calm to psycho and back to calm in the matter of seconds. The supporting cast is just as impressive with Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, David Huddleston, Tara Reid, Philip Seymour Hoffman and John Turturro are all terrific in their bit parts as well. The chemistry that the supporting players have with Bridges is another strong selling point. Another major plus is the soundtrack, which features the likes of Bob Dylan, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Elvis Costello, Santana, the Eagles and many more. I think the one downside to the film is that since the mystery doesn't work, the extended 117-minute running time feels a bit too long and you can't help but feel that the story could have been wrapped up in less time. With that said, there are countless big laughs to be had here and it's certainly true that you never know where the comedy is going to come from and that helps keep the thing moving. The performances, especially Bridges and Goodman, makes this film a true cult classic.