you know you 're in for a truly different cinematic experience the moment you realize steve buscemi has been cast as the movie in question 's most normal character .
such is the case with " the big lebowski , " joel and ethan coen 's first venture since their " fargo " nabbed nationwide acclaim and a mantlepiece of academy award nods .
there 's no need to fear that the coens suffered creative burnout with that accomplishment , because " lebowski " is an effort that makes words like " strange " and " unusual " seem like an understatement .
thanks in part to delicious characterization and an all - encompassing sense of humor , the film is a smashing success .
the central oddball here is the dude ( jeff bridges ) , an unemployed cad whose ambitions appear to be zilch beyond smoking pot , drinking beer and going bowling ( are you college students already rooting for him , or what ? ) .
one night , a pair of thugs break into his house and pee on his carpet ,
a threatening act that 's supposed to be carried out against a famous pasadena millionaire ( david huddleston ) who shares his birth name -- jeff lebowski -- with the dude .
once the dude realizes this coincidence , he visits the big lebowski in hopes to claim reparations for his soiled rug , and is back to his normal life with alley pals walter ( john goodman ) , a hotheaded vietnam vet , and donny ( buscemi ) , a mild - mannered surfer , before too long .
soon , though , lebowski 's trampy trophy wife bunny ( tara reid ) is kidnaped and held for a hefty ransom , and he turns to the dude for help .
it seems bunny 's troubles are related to a line of work she 's kept secret from her husband -- she 's actually an adult film star and is very in debt with a shady producer named jackie treehorn .
the dude , now on lebowski 's payroll , accepts the offer and agrees to handle the money drop ; walter tags along and insists that the dude keep the cash for himself .
chaos obviously ensues , and the dude eventually finds himself in hot water with cops , crooks and lebowski 's ultra - eccentric artist daughter maude ( julianne moore ) .
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the big lebowski " deserves to win the coens the same amount of acclaim that " fargo " did ; while that 1996 black comedy was certainly a better film , " lebowski " is at least as breathtakingly imaginative .
the movie boasts a mile - high absurdity level that sometimes threatens to topple over , but thankfully never does .
the coens ( joel directed , ethan produced and both wrote ) keep you in stitches
as they unravel their exceedingly loopy tale , and must be commended for juggling a number of people and subplots one would expect to find in a robert altman flick . whether we 're watching bridges fend off a marmet in his bathtub or moore don viking duds and dance in a busby berkeley - esque dream sequence , " the big lebowski " is immensely lively .
there are those who will dislike this film , but not because it 's boring .
the cast has a great deal of fun with the bounteous material they 're given .
bridges exudes a likeable , surprisingly sweet presence ; his dude sure is n't the cleanest guy around , but you 'd still follow him to another movie .
goodman merits 1998 's first oscar consideration , as walter 's manic temper is one of " the big lebowski
" 's many highlights ; the same goes for moore , whose throaty , delectable performance as maude is a hilarious hoot .
john turturro may very well steal the movie with his two scenes as a colorful bowler from a rival faction .
sam elliott 's rambling narration gets the film off to a solid start .
and some will recognize peter stormare -- " fargo " 's silent heavy -- as carl hungus , a porn star who 's really a samurai sword - wielding german nihilist and has - been pop star .
only in its final third does the movie falter , with a couple of loose plot threads and some cast members who quickly disappear and never emerge for a curtain call .
these flaws are forgivable , though -- the coens have crafted a tale so rich with personality that it 's hard to look at the final product with anything but a big grin on your face . without a doubt , " the big lebowski " is the best film so far this year .
sure , we 're only three months in and the competition ( " deep rising , " " desperate measures , " " the wedding singer , " etc . ) has been pretty bland , but it 's still the gospel truth .
maybe during next awards season , " lebowski " wo n't be a far cry from " fargo .
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Output: P