Get it?

Rating: 10/10 (8 October 2008)

You either get it or you don't with this movie.
You won't get it if you're fussy about movies fitting into specific genres. It' touches on Film Noir / Comedy / Buddy movie but is actually none of these. You won't get it if you focus on the plot too much. It's not about the plot, it's about the characters & the plot exists mainly to set up all kinds of different situations for them to handle (or mishandle most of the time). You won't get it if swearing annoys you. I hardly noticed the amount of bad language but it seems to annoy some people a lot. Most of all, if you don't empathise with the Dude, you won't get it.
This is a very subtle movie that features many un-subtle characters who border on caricature much of the time. I think a lot of people expect an outright comedy & are disappointed by the lack of obvious jokes. It's a movie best approached with no expectation & it gets better every time I see it. I'm not going to rave on about it even though it's one of my all time favourite films. It's best to just watch it for yourself.