It's the wealth of great characters and their insane dialogue that make this a memorable film.
The Big Lebowski (1998)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:72
Fresh:56
Rotten:16
Average Rating:7.1/10
Consensus: Typically stunning visuals and sharp dialogue from the Coen Brothers, brought to life with strong performances from Goodman and Bridges.
Runtime: 1 hr 58 mins
Genre: Comedies
Synopsis: The Coen brothers have done it again. Mixing in Leninist philosophy, mistaken identity, crazy characters, a kidnapping plot, and a deep love of bowling, they have unleashed upon an unsuspecting... The Coen brothers have done it again. Mixing in Leninist philosophy, mistaken identity, crazy characters, a kidnapping plot, and a deep love of bowling, they have unleashed upon an unsuspecting world the many glories of THE BIG LEBOWSKI. Jeff Bridges plays Jeff Lebowski, known as the Dude, a laid-back, easygoing burnout who happens to have the same name as a millionaire whose wife owes a lot of dangerous people a whole bunch of money--resulting in the Dude having his rug soiled, sending him spiraling into the Los Angeles underworld. The film is beautiful to look at, especially the scenes in the bowling alley, which feature a vast array of bizarre characters--including Steve Buscemi, John Turturro, Sam Elliott, and the movie-stealing, riotously funny John Goodman as the Dude's crazy best buddy. As usual in Coen brothers films (BARTON FINK, RAISING ARIZONA), the dialogue is hysterically warped; the plot is confusing, complicated, and kinetic; the soundtrack is virtually another character; and the acting is weirdly stellar. THE BIG LEBOWSKI is yet another thoroughly entertaining foray into the strange and fascinating world ruled by Joel and Ethan Coen. [More]
Starring: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi
Starring: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, David Huddleston, John Turturro, Peter Stormare, David Thewlis, Ben Gazzara, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Tara Reid, Flea, Torsten Voges, Philip Moon, Mark Pellegrino, Jack Kehler, Aimee Mann, Asia Carrera, Jerry Haleva
Director: Joel Coen
Director: Joel Coen
Producer: Ethan Coen, Eric Fellner, Tim Bevan
Screenwriter: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Composer: Carter Burwell
Reviews for The Big Lebowski
Stylish and wickedly funny black comedy illuminated by a great performance from Jeff Bridges, and loaded with all the Coen brothers' trademark wit and flair.
Far from being shallow pastiche, it's actually about something: what it means to be a man, to be a friend, and to be a 'hero' for a particular time and place.
In a perfect world all movies would be made by the Coen brothers.
If it's all supposed to be in fun, why does it feel so much like an insult?
Since The Big Lebowski doesn't have an idea in its head, it has to fill the empty space with 'witty' conceits
Adds up to considerably less than the sum of its often scintillating parts.
There are more ideas here, more wacko side characters and plot curlicues than the film can support, and inevitably it deflates from having to shoulder so much.
This movie seems to me almost a mishmash of the worst bits that were left out of previous Coen Brothers outings.
As tempting as it is to completely dismiss The Big Lebowski, it's hard to do because the Coens are able to create wickedly funny eccentrics and possess the ability to energize certain actors to inhabit them completely.
The Coen Brothers throw this film into the gutter, never developing what could have been a Strictly Ballroom-like spoof of the bowling world.
I wish the Coens the best, but they're going to have to do better than this. I know they can.
Much of 'Lebowski' is amusing, some of it is downright hilarious and all of it is stylish, with plenty of the Coens' usual inventive shot composition and tricky camerawork.
There are bits of brilliance here as in all Coen Brothers movies. Just not enough of them.
This deliberately messay comedy stars Jeff Bridges as a slack-brained pothead, but the funniest turn is given by John Turturro as a gay Latino bowler who urges his ball with sexy thrusts of his pelvis.
This uneven screwball comedy -- a disjointed and half-hearted attempt by the Coen brothers to return to the Raising Arizona style -- is bound to underwhelm even their most fervent admirers.
This broad farce about mistaken identities would have worked much better if the filmmakers hadn't mistaken their own.
In many ways, The Big Lebowski has surpassed Fargo as the Coens' high-water mark.
An indulgent spoof, Big Lebowski isn’t a straight gutter ball, but it’s no strike, either.
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