THE BIG LEBOWSKI
An Incompetent Film Review by David Kerr
Copyright 1998 David Kerr
Rating: ***/****
Starring: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi 1998, R, 115 minutes
The Coen Brothers latest offering is sure to please fans of their older works, especially Raising Arizona. Directed by Joel Coen, produced by Ethan Coen, and created by both, this is the team that brought last year's smash Fargo.
I liked Fargo, but The Big Lebowski is not like Fargo at all, except for that ol' Coen Brothers style. Everything that the Coens have done has been wierd and over the top, and The Big Lebowski is no exception.
The story is about The Dude (Jeff Bridges) who comes home one fateful day to find two thugs awaiting to collect money from one Jeff Lebowski. After roughing up The Dude a bit and urinating on his carpet, the thugs realize that they have the wrong guy. The Dude's name is Jeff Lebowski, but there are two Jeff Lebowskis and the one they want is supposed to be a millionaire living in a mansion.
The Dude is upset over his carpet. "It was the centerpiece of the apartment" exclaims his veteran bowling buddy Walter (John Goodman). The Dude wants compensation for his rug, but when he asks for it he gets much more than he bargained for. He is drawn into a web of deciet, lies, kidnappings, car chases, feminism, porn movies, and nihilism.
And in the midst of all this chaos, The Dude is relaxed. He is the "laziest man in Los Angle-ees" explains narrator Sam Niell. After an afternoon of madness, The Dude returns to his bowling tournament, with partners Walter and Donny (Steve Buscemi).
This movie isn't a laugh fest, although there are a few instances of extreme craziness that push the viewer over the edge. One scene comes to mind, when The Dude is decoding a secret message that turns out to be a rude drawing. I don't want to give it away, but it is quite funny, and for some reason reminded me of a line from The Long Kiss Goodnight.
What is the point of this movie? Glad you asked. I am not really sure. As far as I can make out, this is just a week in the life of The Dude. The Dude gets a rabid marmet thrown on him while taking a bath and doesn't think much of it. He goes bowling, and returns home to the chaos. The Dude isn't a nihilist, but the ultimate message is nihilism - who cares? Nothing really matters in this movie. The Dude is a poke and prod kinda guy who reacts to external stimuli. Ironically the nihilist gang members are the most concerned about their welfare in this movie.
As Homer J. Simpson said, there is no moral of the show, it is "just a bunch of stuff that happened". Relax, sit back, and watch. Unlike movies where this is the case because the movie has no substance, this film is deliberately made to be nothing more than a set of events.
I have to say I enjoyed this movie, but it is definitely not for all tastes. Watch Raising Arizona before seeing this. If you loved it, you'll at least be in for a treat with the Big Lebowski. I liked it, but I can't say I'm dying to go see it again. I got my money's worth, which is a good thing these days. Besides, it's worth it to see Peter Stormare play a porno star... if only for a few hilarious seconds.
David Kerr kerrSPLATd@hotmail.com Remove SPLAT to reply.
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