One of the most entertaining films by the Coen Brothers

Rating: 8/10 (21 January 2016)

Joel and Ethan Coen have stood high in the ranking of some of the best directors in Hollywood for the last two decades, and still to this today continue to make some of the biggest masterpieces. This black comedy starring Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, and Steve Buscemi, is a movie that did not perform well with critics nor saw much sunshine at the box office,; but eventually went on to becoming a cult classic and one of the my favorite comedies to date. This film follows Jeff Lebowski (played by Jeff Bridges), a drifter who lives under the name "The Dude" as his name happens to be the same name as a billionaire. To matters worse, this billionaire is married to a woman who is in serious debt and owes money to some of the most dangerous individuals in Los Angeles. With The Dude mistaken as the billionaire (played by David Huddleston), the Lebowksi's wife Bunny Lebowski (played by Tara Reid) is kidnapped by the dangerous men and orders The Dude to get their money. With the help of his bowling buddies Walter Sobchak (played by John Goodman) and Donny Kerabatsos (played by Steve Buscemi), his plan makes a turn for the worst when he gets involved a series of dangerous schemes including corrupt police officers and Lebowkski's erotic daughter Maude (played by Julianne Moore).
The Coen Brothers are often known for mixing genres in their films. This film pervades with a straight balance of comedy with a serious undertone, an achievement many black comedies do not do too well nowadays. What we get from this picture is a hilarious movie with an entertaining plot (though complex), solid performances, and some of the most memorable characters. Jeff Bridges nails it as the titular character, giving sharp dialogue and a clever sense of humor; none one could have played Jeff Lebowski a.k.a The Dude better than he. Jeff Bridges fits the bill. Then John Goodman who plays Walter Sobchak is quite hilarious and delivers some of the most clever lines in the film, though his character may have quite a crude personality, that is what makes him the funny man he is. The rest of the cast hits a home as well. The chemistry between Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, and Steve Buscemi works astonishingly well; whenever these three hit the screen, that is when viewers should be ready for a hilarious good time, especially when John Turturro comes on screen. The humor, though not inspiring, is nicely written by Joel and Ethan Coen in ways to make it work, rather than beat down on clichéd gags. The only major flaw viewers may encounter is the difficulty connecting with the plot as it does tend to veer some odd directions at various points. Nonetheless, there are plenty of surprises, and twists and turns to keep the plot captivating.
The Big Lebowski takes position as one of the Coen Brothers' best works, and one of the comedies of the 1990s. Thanks to the strong performances by an talented cast, clever dialogue, surprising humor, and solid characters; this film is one worth checking out for everyone.