Amazon.com Essentials:
After the tight plotting and quirky intensity of Fargo, this
casually amusing follow-up from the prolifically inventive Coen (Ethan
and Joel) brothers seems like a bit of a lark, and the result was a
box-office disappointment. The good news is, The Big Lebowski
is every bit a Coen movie, and its lazy plot is part of its laidback
charm. After all, how many movies can claim as their hero a
pot-bellied, pot-smoking loser named Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski (Jeff
Bridges) who spends most of his time bowling and getting stoned? And
where else could you find a hairnetted Latino bowler named Jesus (John
Turturro) who sports dazzling purple footgear, or an erotic artist
(Julianne Moore) whose creativity consists of covering her naked body
in paint, flying through the air in a leather harness, and splatting
herself against a giant canvas? Who else but the Coens would think of
showing you a camera view from inside the holes of a bowling ball, or
an elaborate Busby Berkely-styled musical dream sequence involving a
Viking goddess and giant bowling pins? The plot--which finds Lebowski
involved in a kidnapping scheme after he's mistaken for a rich guy
with the same name--is almost beside the point. What counts here is a
steady cascade of hilarious dialogue, great work from Coen regulars
John Goodman and Steve Buscemi, and the kind of cinematic ingenuity
that puts the Coens in a class all their own. Be sure to watch with
snacks in hand, because The Big Lebowski might give you a giddy
case of the munchies. --Jeff Shannon
Amazon.com Essentials:
After the tight plotting and quirky intensity of Fargo, this
casually amusing follow-up from the prolifically inventive Coen (Ethan
and Joel) brothers seems like a bit of a lark, and the result was a
box-office disappointment. The good news is, The Big Lebowski
is every bit a Coen movie, and its lazy plot is part of its laidback
charm. After all, how many movies can claim as their hero a
pot-bellied, pot-smoking loser named Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski (Jeff
Bridges) who spends most of his time bowling and getting stoned? And
where else could you find a hairnetted Latino bowler named Jesus (John
Turturro) who sports dazzling purple footgear, or an erotic artist
(Julianne Moore) whose creativity consists of covering her naked body
in paint, flying through the air in a leather harness, and splatting
herself against a giant canvas? Who else but the Coens would think of
showing you a camera view from inside the holes of a bowling ball, or
an elaborate Busby Berkely-styled musical dream sequence involving a
Viking goddess and giant bowling pins? The plot--which finds Lebowski
involved in a kidnapping scheme after he's mistaken for a rich guy
with the same name--is almost beside the point. What counts here is a
steady cascade of hilarious dialogue, great work from Coen regulars
John Goodman and Steve Buscemi, and the kind of cinematic ingenuity
that puts the Coens in a class all their own. Be sure to watch with
snacks in hand, because The Big Lebowski might give you a giddy
case of the munchies. --Jeff Shannon
Amazon.com Essentials:
After the tight plotting and quirky intensity of Fargo, this
casually amusing follow-up from the prolifically inventive Coen (Ethan
and Joel) brothers seems like a bit of a lark, and the result was a
box-office disappointment. The good news is, The Big Lebowski
is every bit a Coen movie, and its lazy plot is part of its laidback
charm. After all, how many movies can claim as their hero a
pot-bellied, pot-smoking loser named Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski (Jeff
Bridges) who spends most of his time bowling and getting stoned? And
where else could you find a hairnetted Latino bowler named Jesus (John
Turturro) who sports dazzling purple footgear, or an erotic artist
(Julianne Moore) whose creativity consists of covering her naked body
in paint, flying through the air in a leather harness, and splatting
herself against a giant canvas? Who else but the Coens would think of
showing you a camera view from inside the holes of a bowling ball, or
an elaborate Busby Berkely-styled musical dream sequence involving a
Viking goddess and giant bowling pins? The plot--which finds Lebowski
involved in a kidnapping scheme after he's mistaken for a rich guy
with the same name--is almost beside the point. What counts here is a
steady cascade of hilarious dialogue, great work from Coen regulars
John Goodman and Steve Buscemi, and the kind of cinematic ingenuity
that puts the Coens in a class all their own. Be sure to watch with
snacks in hand, because The Big Lebowski might give you a giddy
case of the munchies. --Jeff Shannon
