Rating: 
Summary: Freaking Wonderful!
Review: "Nihilism, eh. Say what you want about the tenets of national socialism but at least it had a goddamned ethos."Brilliant. More John Goodman. More Coens. More St. Louis Park, MN. Out.
Rating:
Summary: Pure genius
Review: Enter The Big Lebowski, a completely ridiculous and off-the-wall film that does wonders getting me out of my depression phases. Starring Jeff Bridges as Jeffrey Lebowksi and John Goodman as Walter the Vietnam veteran, it's one of those movies that doesn't have any 'cry laughing' scenes, but instead goes for a steady diet of chuckle-type humor. You won't be rolling around laughing for hours after a joke, you'll usually have to think about it for a second and then chuckle when you get it. Call me a tool, but I much prefer it when you have to think about a joke, as opposed to it being placed right in your lap. From what I've heard, The Big Lebowski was a box-office [hit], although I can't even really recall when it would have been in theatres. Of course, every once in awhile, a movie bombs, even when it shouldn't. I'm hard-pressed for an example right now, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it. The story is completely inane and ridiculous - great stuff for a good comedy. Jeffrey Lebowski - or 'The Dude' as most people call him - comes home from doing his grocery shopping only to discover that a couple of thugs have broken into his house claiming that Lebowski owes them some cash. They trash the house, dunk The Dude's head into the toilet bowl, and one of the thugs even makes the unfortunate mistake of urinating on The Dude's rug - the rug that really tied the room together. Big mistake. After a discussion with his bowling buds, he searches out and finds the other Lebowski in town (who just happens to be a wheelchair-bound multi-millionaire), an argument ensues between the two, and The Dude leaves, a stolen carpet in hand. From there, the movie just gets even wackier. The millionaire Lebowski's 19-year-old wife Bunny is kidnapped, and The Dude is enlisted to get her back by delivering ransom money to the kidnappers. All the while, he manages to not miss his bowling night or his frequent LSD flashbacks. The dialogue between the Dude and his bowling buddies (Goodman as Walter and Steve Buscemi as Donny) is some of the funniest in the film, and these scenes help to tie the story together so that it makes some semblance of sense. They even feature a pedophile bowler that goes by the name of 'The Jesus.' Uproarious stuff. Walter switches the briefcase with the million dollars with a briefcase filled with his own underwear. Unfortunately, after delivering the fake briefcase, The Dude's car, and the million dollars still in it, get stolen. This leads into even more creative dialogue scenes - the conversation between the police and The Dude as he reports the car missing is particularly funny, as are his conversations with Lebowski's daughter,the president of a multi-million dollar porn empire, and a group of German nihilists (watch for Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers playing the third German nihilist). And The Dude even ends up getting laid! Just try to tell me that his movie doesn't have everything! The entire film is told from the eyes of 'The Stranger,' a man that The Dude meets twice while bowling - a beer-drinking cowboy. The cinematography is excellent - the use of varying camera angles helps to convey certain feelings. There's even a shot from a camera within a spinning bowling ball. The Dude's LSD flashback scenes were particularly well thought out - colourful and featuring well-chosen background music. If you're looking for some absolutely hilarious slapstick, gross-out humour, I can gaurantee that you won't find it here. But if you're looking for a comedy film that relies heavily on comedic, intelligent dialogue and visuals, then The Big Lebowski is a keeper for you. Check it out, but make sure you watch it more than once. Otherwise you might just be left scratching your head.
Rating:
Summary: "That's, like, your opinion, man."
Review: I have never been a huge fan of the Coen brothers' work. I liked "Raising Arizona" and "The Man Who Wasn't There", but I felt that the scripts were lacking. However, I thought that their unique, genre-fitting direction could make a great script into a fabulous movie. The Big Lebowski proved me right. The plot involves a stoner named Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski who gets involved with a kidnapping scheme involving handicapped millionaires, German Nihilists, gen-x artists, porno producers, and a 15-year old brat with bad grades. Along for the ride is his Vietnam vet-friend, Walter, who is pretty much Rambo without intelligence, and their bowling buddy Donny, who is the most true to life characters in a long time. The performances are brilliant. Jeff Bridges, the least likely person to play the Dude, makes him a sympathetic stoner who just wants to smoke Thai sticks and bowl. John Goodman is never afraid of overplaying his role, and it pays off with the funniest representation of a 'Nam vet ever. Philip Seymore Hoffman does so much with his small role, you won't believe he is credited in a "3 at a time". Steve Buscemi as Donny has few lines, but is present for the majority of the film. That is like many real friends, who say something once in a while, but end up just being there. Juliane Moore's character represents everything that the Dude doesn't like about people nowadays, a weird artist who is so complicated that talking to her is like reading 20 books at a time. She plays this role with ease and leaves a great impression. Flea and Peter Stormare join the ride as the German Nihilists and Tara Reid does her best job as an ex-porno star now married to a millionaire. And John Turturro deserves special acclaim for his brilliant, uncredited role as Jesus Quintana. This is the kind of performance that can make, "Don't F**k with the Jesus!" a catchphrase. Joel Coen's direction really pairs with the brilliant dialogue in the film. He really shines in one dialogueless dream sequence in which the Dude imagines he's in a porno with Julianne Moore's character. He dances, teaches her how to bowl, rolls along the lanes as a bowling ball, all set to Kenny Roger's "Just Dropped In". The movie is well paced, but has the same problem which plagues all the Coen brothers' films: the 2nd act is FAR too long. Too many scenes that shouldn't have made it into the final cut come up and bore the audience. However, even those scenes have enough excellent dialogue and direction to make a book on. If you have seen any other Coen clan film, see this immediately. Not only is this my favorite of their films, but it is my favorite film of 1998. It is funny, sweet, and most of all, quirky. VAZ Zahedi, over and Out.
Rating:
Summary: You're outta your element if you don't like this movie
Review: This is my favorite Coen brothers movie, closely followed by Raising Arizona. John Goodman is hilarious as a Vietnam Vet who takes his bowling very serious and doesn't roll
on sundays. Shomer Shabbat!
The highlights of the movie for me are the parts with Jesus. Not the messiah, but the bowler. The part where he's shining his bowling ball makes me die laughing every time.
"You said it man. Nobody f's with the Jesus."
Rating:
Summary: Keeps getting better
Review: This is one of the few movies that I didn't like the first time I saw it, but then after seeing it a couple more times it grew to be one of my favorite all time flicks. It has some of the best lines in film history: "he thinks the carpet pissers did this?", "you want a toe, I'll get you a toe.", "Is this your homework, Larry?", "phones ringing dude" and on and on. Just forget about the convoluted plot and just sit back and enjoy the adventures of Donnie, Walter, and of course The DUDE!
Rating: 
Summary: Weakest Coen Brothers film
Review: which, when you consider that against many other movies, ain't so bad. Nevertheless, I've seen 'em all and this is definitely their dud. As usual, the Coen Brothers are showing off their ability to create extremely strange characters, along with their signature blend of fantasy and reality, and nifty camera work. However, the plot is not all that coherent, and the characters, for all their oddity, are not that compelling. Jeff Bridges plays a burned out hippie leftover("the Dude") who, by way of having the same name as a millionaire, gets himself involved in one misunderstanding after another regarding the disappearance of the millionaire's wife. However, John Goodman steals the show as his bowling partner, a Vietnam vet with a hair trigger temper and a knack for springing into military style action when the Dude's passivity allows him. Together, they screw up one thing after another in trying to disentangle the Dude with the circumstances. What I imagine the Coen Brothers were trying to achieve here was to make the Dude into some sort of modern Zen/Tao master/independent maverick who, by virtue of his ignorance and willingness to just let things happen to him, ekes himself out of intrigue. My belief that this is the aim of the movie is supported by Sam Elliot's narration of the story in a cowboy hat, attempting to assign some importance to the Dude's actions and style. It doesn't really all come together, really, 'cause theres nothing good about being "a dude", no matter what prism you filter him thru.
I'm no prude. But the f-word is bandied about so many times in this movie you get tired of hearing it. It was funny when the Soth Park kids did it, but here it grates. I imagine alot of people are going to think this is a great movie because of that and the lead character's casual and frequent pot use, and I suspect that those who thought this was one of the greatest movies theyve ever seen must have the same smoking habits as the Dude.
Rating:
Summary: I knew this movie was special from the beginning
Review: I knew there was something uniquely appealing about The Big Lebowski after seeing the previews back in 1998. I saw it in the theaters and haven't stopped watching since. A wonderful comedy with Jeff Bridges giving an absolutely great performance of "The Dude". I personally really like the supporting role of Julianne Moore as Maude, such dry wit, marvelous. I can't think of any movie to compare this to, but I do know that all my friends at college enjoy this movie. Share this film with your friends and I suspect the same will happen.
Rating:
Summary: Thank You Coen Brothers
Review: Wow. The funniest, smartest, and most original movie I have ever seen. The Coen Brothers (along with Wes Anderson) have a gift of developing believable characters that make you want to know more about them. You will find them funny without even laughing (although you will). The whole movie is hilarious from beginning to end without going over the edge, and never boring. Jeff Bridges, "the Dude", is perfect for his lazy character. John Goodman (the funniest I've ever seen him), is Walter, the Dude's best friend and bowling partner. His character is hilarious as he raves on about his cynical views through witty dialogue. Steve Buscemi (one of my favorite actors) also plays a supporting role as Donny in his fifth Coen Brothers movie. Julianne more is also good as an artist who paints in the nude. See this movie. Especially for its intelligent and funny dialogue, the characters, and for the Coen Brothers unique style...
Rating:
Summary: One of the strangest and best comedies of the past decade
Review: At his moment in the history of American film, I wonder if the Coen brothers aren't our most interesting filmmakers. Even their misses are more interesting than most other's hits. Of all their films, I personally believe that THE BIG LEBOWSKI is the finest film they have made yet. If in MADAME BOVARY Flaubert attempted (and succeeded) at writing a novel without a heroine, in THE BIG LEBOWSKI the Coen brothers made a film without a hero. Jeff Bridges plays the title role of Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski, who isn't so much everyday as considerably below nondescript. He is poor, unambitious, unobtrusive, and unspectacular. His only goals in life appear to be bowling, smoking pot, and drinking White Russians. That "The Dude" could be the center of a motion picture seems spectacularly absurd. That the movie succeeds despite such humble assumptions is a testament both to the Coen brothers and Jeff Bridges. I have long considered Bridges to be one of the most underrated performers in the movies today. Interestingly, it may be the movie in which he was most playing himself. I saw a segment of BIOGRAPHY on A&E on Jeff Bridges, and his wife mentioned that in this film he was pretty much playing himself, and, in fact, wore the clothes he wears in everyday life in much of it. Gotta love that. On one level, this movie is absurd. Intentionally absurd. The various elements, in the hands of lesser individuals than the Coen brothers, might fall apart into something dumb. Instead, they meld it into something remarkable. John Goodman's diatribes about the boys in Vietnam, or his dedication to the Jewish Sabbath (despite not being Jewish), or the many jokes about Nihilists, or Goodman's awe at being in the semi-presence (the man is unconsicious and in an iron lung) of a man who wrote most of the episodes of the TV show BRANDED, or John Turturro's absolutely demented turn as a Hispanic bowler, or Philip Seymour Hoffman's marvelous turn as the personal assitant to multi-millionaire Jeff Lebowski, or Sam Elliot as the seemingly omniscient "The Stranger" all are elements that improbably blend together to make an absolute masterpiece. Bizarrely, the more absurd the Coen Bros become, the better the film becomes. The cast is as good as one can possibly imagine. Jeff Bridges, has I mentioned, is just perfect in the lead. John Goodman and Steve Buscemsi are just as good as his bowling partners/best friends. Goodman's frequent blow-ups are among the best moments in the movie. Tara Reid has gone on to larger roles since this film, but she has never been better than in the small but crucial role of Bunny Lebowski. Peter Stormare (notable before this as the more insane of the two murderers in FARGO, the one Frances MacDormand catches trying to put the leg of Steve Buscemi into a pulping machine) is just incredible as the leader of the "Nihilists." Philip Seymour Hoffman, John Turturro, Ben Gazzara, and Juliane Moore all make a good movie even better. And Flea, of the Chilli Peppers, makes a small appearance as one of the Nihilists. This is just a great film. It isn't just a must see, but a must see over and over. Few films of recent years have so many moments that I enjoy recalling as this one. And although OH BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU! and THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE, the two films that have followed THE BIG LEBOWSKI, haven't been quite up to its level, I still look forward to a new Coen brothers film more than just about any other. One other note. The music for this film is just incredible. One of the most striking moments occurs when the viewer is assaulted with a brutal version in Spanish of "Hotel California." It is worth noting that the person responsible for assembling the songs for the sound track was none other than T-Bone Burnett. Although O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? was not a great movie, it did feature a spectacular soundtrack. T-Bone Burnett was responsible for the music of both films.
Rating:
Summary: Lets go bowling...
Review: This is my most favorite film of all times. Even the good all russian movies, most of which I watch and like, can't beat this one. I watched "The Big Lebowski" about 15 times in the past year. I know the whole movie, I know what's gonna happen when and who's going to say what, etc, but I still enjoy it! When I first watched it, I was kinda shocked by the language they used (I wasn't used to that), but despite that I was laughing hard throughout the whole movie. Now there are a couple of things you gotta understand about this movie. First of all, the cursing in this movie is on purpose, it's not because the makers of this film just decided that everyone should curse. That's just who they are and how they talk. Second, don't take it very seriously. The whole feeling of the movie dissappears if you take it seriously. Like somebody here said the movie has a paper-thin plot. It doesn't, really, it's just very light. I can't really explain it, but the whole movie holds that sense of "lightness" - probably how the Dude feels most of the time.
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