Turn on. Tune in. Slack off.

Rating: Null/10 (26 February 1999)

Sometimes it's good to wallow in an epic dramatic narrative. Other times it's good get on the edge of your seat and wait for an explosive pay off. But it's also good to just take it easy, slump onto the sofa and watch a film. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the ultimate slacker film, The Big Lebowski.
Watching this film restores your faith in the cinema industry. They're not all bitesize, easy to swallow, lightweight moneyspinners. And they don't have to be dark, sombre dramas either. They can be fun, bouncy, hilarious comedies as well. With this film the Coen's prove their mastery of film to the world. The heavy style of Blood Simple and Barton Fink has been replaced by a palpable cool and and a nature so easy going you almost don't feel it. The writing is wonderful and the scenes hilarious. The Dudes dream sequences will have you in stitches while the marmot-in-a-bathtub routine will have the male audience crossing their legs ferociously.
This film is driven by the characters so it's good to see that they're as well written as they are acted. The Dude is so laid back he's almost horizontal and every line is spoken with such a super calm, take it easy style that it's impossible not to love him as soon as you see him. All he wants is his rug back and rather than suddenly solving the baffling mystery he merely wanders around the edges waiting for his treasured Persian to arrive. It's a wonderfully warm and human character, effortlessly played by Bridges. The same can be said of Walter, Donny and Maude. Each are so lifelike that you want to reach up and touch them. But the show is stolen by (or rather handed over to) John Turturro as Jesus Quintana. See this guy and laugh till you burst.
All in all a comedy for the Simpsons generation. Enjoy.