The Big Lebowski (1998)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ½

The Big Lebowski (1998) – J. Coen & E. Coen

Sublimely ridiculous or ridiculously sublime?  Somehow the Coen Brothers managed to create a pair of hilarious and vivid characters (laid back but put upon Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski and aggressively wrong-headed Walter Sobchak) and situate them in a sprawling “mystery” plot that riffs on The Big Sleep, the early 90’s, the art world, bowling, pornography, nihilism, and just about anything and everything else that popped into their brains at the time.  But it all holds together (more or less and not worse than The Big Sleep), courtesy of Jeff Bridges as the Dude and John Goodman as Walter, and contains enough laughs to have become a phenomenon.  Just think of John Turturro as the Jesus in a purple jumpsuit taunting our heroes at the bowling alley.  Or the amazing dream montage set to The First Edition (with Kenny Rogers) song, “Just Dropped In (to see what condition my condition was in).”   There are dozens more absurd, knowing, and very funny moments.  All you can think is “who thinks this shit up?  (“Cussing” is common here, despite Sam Elliott’s suggestion that they tone it down).  But we know the answer – it springs from the very bizarre brains of the Brothers Coen: one of their very best.