The Big Lebowski

Rating:
Summary: Better Than Fargo
Review: The Big Lebowski may be the greatest American comedy since Dr. Strangelove. Its critical rejection, neglect by the academy awards, and poor box office showing remain inexplicable to me. Apparently the post-Fargo expectations did not conform with what resulted. I have this to say: Fargo pales in comparison to the Big Lebowski and people should have been enthusiastic about such an explosion of creativity and talent as they received with this most unique of comedies. 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail' is the only other movie that has ever made me laugh as much. I guess the Big Lebowski just wasn't 'commercial' enough.

In singing its praises there are hundreds of places to begin. John Goodman's explosive performance as Walter is the first thing that comes to my mind; he is phenomenal and should have been showered with awards. As a slightly unhinged, tempermental, loudmouthed, incompetent war veteran who is neurotically obsessed with Vietnam and his ex-wife he is jaw-droppingly funny. Philip Seymour Hoffman is a standout as a chuckling, uptight, obsequeous toady. Jeff Bridges fits right into his role as The Dude, one of the only unemployed pot-smoking bums to be the hero of a movie. The dialogue is electrifying, the acid flashbacks are weird and funny, the sountrack is used to beautiful effect, and the plot unfolds in the most convoluted way possible, until we come to the ultimate anti-climactic denouement, that will irritate many and have others choking with laughter. This is what the Coen Brothers should be remembered for.

Rating:
Summary: Great Comedy, ranks behind office space
Review: Joe doesn't know a good movie when he sees one. Big Bowski is awesome!

Rating:
Summary: The Dude Abides..
Review: Ever feel down? Put this baby in your DVD player and you can't help but feel the good vibe of The Dude and his simplistic look at life. How life should be. Very funny from beginning to end. Walter and Donnie are great as well. Especially when Walter and the Dude say goodbye to Donnie, it just makes me crack up every time. A must see, man..ya know?

Rating:
Summary: All hail The Dude.
Review: This is another one of those movies where I could sit here and describe the plot and characters in exact detail for several paragraphs, but it wouldn't matter worth a damn anyway. I'll just say the following: It's a Coen Brothers movie. Jeff Bridges and John Goodman are in it, and are funny as hell. It pushes the bounds of postmodern filmmaking (read: absence of any solid plot) to a great degree. A cowboy narrator, avant-garde hipsters, German nihilists, bowling, '60s music, amputed toes, killer ferrets, TONS of f-bombs, sex, and acid flashbacks are all involved.

Is it ABOUT anything? Yes... and no. All I know is that it's a great little caper that would be almost noir-ish if wasn't so absurd.

And here are some one-liners (I couldn't resist):

"Chinaman is not the preferred nomenclature. Asian-American, please."

"Smokey, this is not 'Nam. This is bowling. There are rules."

"Shut the f--k up Donny."

"You said it man. Nobody f--ks with the Jesus!"

"She's not my special lady friend, man. I'm just helping her conceive."

"Did you ever hear of the 'Seattle Seven?' That was me.. and six other guys."

"Well, I still jerk off manually."

"We believe in nothing, Lebowski. Nothing. And tomorrow we come back and we cut off your johnson."

"Coitus. Do you like it?"

"Whereas what we have here? A bunch of fig-eaters wearing towels on their heads, trying to find reverse in a Soviet tank. This is not a worthy adversary."

"You can guess what happens next."
"What? He fixes the cable?"

"The Dude abides."

Need I say more?

Rating:
Summary: THE DUDE!!!
Review: I saw this movie the first time with a couple of friends, who have raved about it. I loved this movie from begining to end. The story makes no sense expect for the fact the The Dude(Jeff Bridges) has been mistaken for a millionare with the same name(David Huddleson)he has his rug pissed on by thugs who came to collect on the debt this millionare's young wife Bunny(Tara Reid)owes. Then the film turns into a big P.I movie where he is hired by the Real Lebowski to find his kidnapped Bunny. And along the way, he mets with strange and disturbing people like his two buddies, Walter(John Goodman)and Donny(Steve Busimi). The millionare's feminist daughter(Julliane Moore)A Niehlest(Peter Stormare, a flamboyent bowler(John Turturro)"No one F*** with the Jesus" A porn mogel(Ben Grazzara) and a old western cowboy who is the narrater of the movie(Sam Elliot) This is a pretty awsome cast, and a pretty awsome movie.

Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece - The Dude rules!
Review: Jeff Bridges as the Dude Lebowski and John Goodman as his shaken Vietnam-vet-friend make this movie my all time favorite. Two freaks on the search for a kidnapped porn starlet and a very worn rug. Sometimes close to slapstick, then again almost realistic; simply fantastic!!! To me it has the best of all the Coen films combined into one. It's less violent than f.e. "Fargo" and less floating and innocent than "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" The script is a masterpiece, combining great dialogue while at the same time leaving the actors enough space to develop and add their own details to the characters. The combination is awesome. Comedy at its best!!!