The Dude saved my life

Rating: 10/10 (2 February 2001)

I'll try not to repeat what has been said in other reviews, but this is a special movie for me. I had gone through a very painful breakup and I was utterly miserable for two months. One night, I rented this movie (seeing it for the second time), I laughed my fool head off, and things got better again. Perhaps The Dude's final line in the movie (which I won't give away) provided me with hope and perspective. This is one of those rare comedies that just keeps getting funnier every time you see it. Jeff Bridges, who is so good at intense, brooding roles, has unbelievable comic timing here. Some criticize the plot as overly meandering, and it is. But the film's aura is compelling, and you just want to go along for the ride.
Like some other Coen Brothers films, The Big Lebowski takes the archetypes of a particular genre and spins them in an utterly unique way. All of the staples of the film noir detective story are here: the LA setting, the kidnapping, the aristocratic client, the easily enraged sidekick, the femme fatale, the miscreants and lowlifes who impede the progress of the case, etc. However, the lead is not someone with an unwavering sense of purpose as is usual, but the role is instead filled by The Dude, quite possibly the laziest person in the world. As the expression goes, hilarity ensues. Since this is the Coen Bros., the humor is obviously not like most modern comedies in which vapid characters say and do stupid things in predictable ways. The Big Lebowski keeps you off balance with loads of witty dialogue, plot twists, and gags that absolutely blindside you. Seeing The Big Lebowski will make your life better. Unless of course, you end up not liking the movie.