Much more than just a comedy - a genre-spanning masterwork.

Rating: 8/10 (8 September 2006)

It's a rare thing when movies like this come along. It's the kind of picture where you'll either marvel at the highly woven plot and genre-hopping genius, or deplore it for being a completely random, stupid and unfathomable piece of crap.
The Dude (Jeff Bridges) is an iconic, laconic slacker. Instantly likable, the Dude's own slant on life is that most things can be solved by taking it easy or going bowling. His partners in crime are Walter; a deranged 'Nam verteran (John Goodman in superb scene-stealing form), Donny, one of his bowling buddies (Steve Buscemi in an understated role) and David Huddleston as the title character, complete with assistant Brandt (Philip Seymour Hoffman, turning the smarm right up to ten). What starts as a simple case of mistaken identity and damaged property quickly becomes a roller-coaster tale of backstabbing and caricature characterisation which gets faster and more twisted as it reaches the final minutes.
The first time I saw this I must say, it just seemed ludicrous and not at all humorous. I wasn't really sure whether it wanted to be a comedy or a surreal drama. After getting about two thirds of the way through I got up and walked out, convinced that this was the worst film in the Coen brothers canon. But on a second viewing I stopped taking this film too seriously and it was then the offbeat comedy and plot really came together.
Ingenious, hilarious and unexpected you really don't have a clue what is going to happen, but the direction and cinematography make it seem like it was inevitable all along. Challenging and rewarding.