Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Starring Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore.
I feel slightly bad saying this since I know The Big Lebowski is a big cult classic and fan favorite, but I didn't really enjoy it. I wanted to... especially since I like Jeff Bridges... but I just couldn't get into this movie. The plot seems to ramble along, without being particularly compelling or comedic, and it doesn't ever end up anywhere.
I suppose it has something interesting to say about what it means to be a slacker i.e. not focused on ambition and a fast-paced lifestyle like many Americans. "The Dude" is certainly an unconventional hero for a movie. Additionally, I'll admit that there were two aspects of the film I did enjoy: the narration by a complete stranger, and the creative and fantastical dream sequences. However, these two components didn't make up for the rest of the movie, which I found either dull or dumb.
As my film studies education continues, I realize that I am unsure of how to understand films by the Coen brothers. I'd love to take a class on them sometime. They're capable of creating something as oddball as this at the same time as something as mainstream as True Grit. They're clearly interesting filmmakers, but I haven't been able to figure out quite why. Let me see... As The Big Lebowski shows, the Coens are clearly skilled at creating idiosyncratic stories with eccentric characters. And, as I've been discussing with friends lately, all truly great films have great characters. Furthermore, I read recently that the Coen Brothers are known for paying homage to classic genres -- for example, the Western with True Grit or heroic journey of O, Brother Where Art Thou? Following that train of thought, I'm not sure what genre this film would fall into... Perhaps the "mistaken identity" crime / film noir genre.
In the end, this was a film that I had heard mentioned enough times that I figured I SHOULD see it, and now I have. I should have known by the description that it wasn't exactly up my alley, but as I've said before, it's always good to try something new in film viewing, to see if you've misjudged yourself and you'll end up liking it. Overall, since I have liked other Coen Brothers movies, I'm thinking this one just wasn't for me.
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