One of the Coen's best (The Big Lebowski (DVD))

Member Name: shaneo632

Product:	The Big Lebowski (DVD)
Date:	21/09/09 (3 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Funny, quirky, and gritty

Disadvantages: None

note: also appears in part on Flixster and The Student Room

The Coen Brothers are known for their quirky and idiosyncratic sense of humour, and also their dark plots that plumb the depths of greed and death. The Big Lebowski is one of their best films, combining some hilariously spirited performances with a great script and typically brilliant direction from the Coens. If you were ever after a thriller about bowling, then this is the film for you!

Jeffrey Lebowski (Jeff Bridges, in what is arguably his best performance), is known by his friends as "The Dude". He thinks he's a lot cooler than he is, because he's actually an employed, possibly alcoholic bowling fan. Things start off innocently enough, with him being mistaken for another man of the same name - and when that man's wife is kidnapped, the man comissions The Dude and his buddies to deliver the ransom and therefore ensure that his wife returns. However, things get more complicated when Walter Sobchak (John Goodman), one of the Dude's friends who intends to keep the ransom money for himself.

Any fan of the Coens knows what to expect - this has the quirky, dark humour of their other films, and also has plenty of their regular cast members. Bridges' performance in the lead role and also Goodman as the ever-angry thief are great. The characters are likeable thanks to the efforts of their acting counterparts, and there's plenty of carnage and mayhem to satisfy thriller fans - just don't expect something that's clean and structured, because it darts all over the place and is quite messy, but this works and fits the chaotic soul of the film.

This film is delightfully funny and one of the Coen's best. The Dude is now an iconic character and the film itself is a fully fledged cult classic.

Summary: A quirky character-driven thriller