# Big Lebowski, The (1998)

### reviewed by
Andy Wright

    The Big Lebowski

    Grade: B (Recommended for fans)

    Directed by Joel Coen
    Written by Ethan And Joel Coen
    Starring: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore
    Year of Release: 1998
    Rating: R

Capsule Review: After a brief and somewhat disconcerting flirtation with the = conventional, FARGO creators and supreme weisenheimers Joel & Ethan Coen = have returned to the fringe big time with this, their loosest film to = date. A radically disheveled Jeff Bridges headlines as the titular Dude, = a hazy bowling obsessed slacker who gets reluctantly drawn into the = Coens' favorite plot device - a haywire kidnapping scheme. It's a = tantalizing setup - THE BIG SLEEP with Jeff Spicoli instead of Philip = Marlowe - but the film never really builds on it, preferring instead to = dance around the edges and introduce as many wacky characters (including = ace performances by Coen mainstays John Goodman, John Turturro, and an = underutilized Steve Buscemi) and absurd situations as it possibly can. Although there are plenty of laughs to be had, what ultimately makes = this film feel like a minor effort is the lack of the tightly coiled = (albeit noticeably bent) internal logic that governed the duo's previous = efforts and which made even the goofiest scenes seem connected with the = narrative as a whole; this is the first of their movies that feels like = it was pretty much being made up as it went along. While longtime fans will find much to savor amid the mess = (particularly Goodman's superb performance and an awesomely gonzo = musical dance sequence), LEBOWSKI isn't likely to satisfy the mainstream = audience that jumped aboard the bandwagon with FARGO - and that just = might be the Coens' biggest and best joke of all.=20

Copyright 1998 by The Critic formerly known as Andrew Wright For more insanely biased reviews, check out http://www.seanet.com/~louk/ e-mail louk@seanet.com

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