I don't think I'll ever get tired of this movie

Rating: 9/10 (6 November 1999)

Since I got the Big Lebowski on VHS several months ago, it's been in my VCR almost constantly. This rich, multi-layered comedy just seems to get better with each additional viewing--perhaps because no matter how hard you puzzle over the film, you'll never quite be able to understand everything about it at once. I equate The Big Lebowski to 12 Monkeys in that regard--both films are wildly entertaining on the surface, slightly ominous underneath, and have moments of pure genius throughout.
Each of the Coens' films seems to be their take on a certain part of the country, in particular criminal activity gone awry in each area--with numerous references to their favorite movies thrown in. The Big Lebowski seems to take L.A. head-on and show us the city as something "every bit as stupefying as in any of those other places". If Fargo and The Big Sleep are combined with modern L.A., The Big Lebowski would be the result.

Jeff Bridges and John Goodman seem to be perfectly cast because their back-and-forth banter is hilarious. I actually can't think of a character that I would have cast differently--every character is memorable and thoroughly entertaining in its own way. The way they play off one another and affect the Dude's travels is just crazy. There is some really great writing in this film and the soundtrack is really great (especially the dream sequences). If you only watch the movie once, you're probably missing a lot of things.
I tend to like movies that break "conventions", and this is definitely one of those films. The main characters aren't glamorous at all, the film's only sex scene is hilarious in contrast to the typical hollywood scene, and there isn't a coherent plot that can be outlined in a nice simple layout that everybody will understand. Just like the main characters, the film seems to bumble around aimlessly--but all the bumbling somehow resonates with coherence by the time it's all over.
You'll either love this movie or hate it. If you're offended by drug use (even though the film hardly glamorizes the use of drugs--it shows what happens to the "Dude" after years of drug abuse... he's an unemployed former Roadie for Metallica...) or profanity (I think this movie probably set the record for the use of the F-word--but it's always sort of melded into the conversation and you hardly even notice it after a while) this may not be the film for you. But I bet if you give The Big Lebowski a chance, it'll get under your skin.