Flashes of brilliance interrupted by something or other

Rating: Null/10 (17 July 1999)

All I have to add to the Big Lebowski discussion is my disappointment with it as a seasoned watcher of Coen flicks. I appreciate the effort to do something completely "out there," but there were two points when I expected an explosion of Coen cinema, and they never happened.
When the Dude discovers he is being followed (by Jon Polito from Miller's Crossing and Barton Fink, no less)), I expected a classic Coen sequence -- a car chase of some sort, but not just a car chase, if you know the Coens.
The other glaring omission was the bowling match at the end. As they displayed in the dream sequence -- which was an MTVish disappointment, but still stylish -- the Coens can photograph anything and make it interesting. We sat through enough rambling -- we deserved that bowling match. Is it possible some studio editor decided it wasn't necessary?
Jeff Bridges is brilliant as the Dude. It is not an exaggeration to say that he deserved as Oscar nomination.
Bridges's performance is so realistic and convincing that John Goodman, who's normally great, comes across as gimmicky and schticky. And I didn't think it was possible to waste Steve Buscemi -- because he's great even when he just stands around -- but he is wasted here.
Rent Miller's Crossing instead. The Big Lebowski is for Coen fans only, so that they can appreciate the quality of the other Coen films.