The Coen Brothers deliver a hilarious journey through the weirder side of L.A.

Rating: Null/10 (25 February 2002)

For the life of me I couldn't understand the acclaim the Coen Brothers achieved over the years. I could tell their films were well-crafted and executed, but they didn't strike me as anything remarkable. I was particularly puzzled over the success of "Fargo", which I initially found monotonous and flat. Then I saw "The Big Lebowski", and my attitude about the Coen Brothers changed 360 degrees. This explained to me perfectly that - in my estimation - the Coen Brothers films are not about stories as much as they are studies of culture and characters. However lively or lazy the plot may be - it's beside the point. The joy is to be found in the dialogue of the characters and the world they inhabit. The Big Lebowski has easily make itself one on my favorite films of the 1990's.
Set in Los Angeles in the early 1990's, Jeff Bridges seems to smile and grimace with delight as Jeff "The Dude" Lebowksi, a lofty, 40-something pothead who wastes his days smoking pot and drinking White Russians while practically living inside his regular hangout - a bowling alley. The Dude is accompanied by his buddies Walter (John Goodman in a hysterical performance of an angry, trigger-happy veteran) and the babbling, clueless Donnie (Steve Buscemi). The Dude is soon mistaken for a millionaire with the same name as his whose trophy wife Bunny has racked up a debt with a local pornographer. It seems Bunny has been kidnapped for ransom and the real Lebowski (hence the title) would like The Dude to serve as his courier for the pay-off. The Big Lebowski's daughter - a pretentious performance artist played by the always-reliable Julianne Moore - intervenes, suggesting that the instructions The Dude has received from her father may be misleading. A series of complications ensue that involve a private eye, a missing toe, a sacred Jewish holiday, a trio of bumbling Germans, and the Dude's beloved rug that "really tied the room together".
Damn, I may never tire of seeing this film. The ingenuity the Coens' display here is endless and tireless. Have you ever noticed that so many Coen Brothers films feature characters you love to watch but would probably hate to know in person? Jeff Bridges totally re-defines his breadth as an actor by completely disappearing beneath The Dude's shaggy beard, sloppy wardrobe, profane vocabulary and rotund pot belly. For a character who seems pretty clueless, we have an easy & enjoyable time following The Dude through his travails. Employing John Goodman again, the Coen Brothers put him to terrific use as a gun-loving veteran obsessed with making a spectacle to enforce his point no matter where he is, as well as honoring the religious duties of his ex-wife, despite the fact that he's not Jewish but nonetheless pledges himself to it ("Shomer f**king shabbus!!!"). Most great filmmakers have themes and / or an era they tend to re-visit over & over. This is not evident with the Coen Brothers. Like Stanley Kubrick and Mike Nichols, the only re-occurring element in all of their films are that they are well made and very unique from all others. If you're not sold on the idea of seeing "The Big Lebowski" yet, it's worth viewing just for seeing the view from inside a bowling ball as it travels down an alley. This is a wild, wacky movie that's nonetheless intelligent and crafty. Basically, "The Big Lebowksi" is a dumb comedy for smart people.