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Movies / Upcoming / The Big Lebowski
The Big Lebowski

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The Big Lebowski (1998)

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Reviews Counted:72

Fresh:56

Rotten:16

Average Rating:7.1/10

Consensus: Typically stunning visuals and sharp dialogue from the Coen Brothers, brought to life with strong performances from Goodman and Bridges.

Runtime: 1 hr 58 mins

Genre: Comedies

US Box Office: $0

Synopsis: The Coen brothers have done it again. Mixing in Leninist philosophy, mistaken identity, crazy characters, a kidnapping plot, and a deep love of bowling, they have unleashed upon an unsuspecting... The Coen brothers have done it again. Mixing in Leninist philosophy, mistaken identity, crazy characters, a kidnapping plot, and a deep love of bowling, they have unleashed upon an unsuspecting world the many glories of THE BIG LEBOWSKI. Jeff Bridges plays Jeff Lebowski, known as the Dude, a laid-back, easygoing burnout who happens to have the same name as a millionaire whose wife owes a lot of dangerous people a whole bunch of money--resulting in the Dude having his rug soiled, sending him spiraling into the Los Angeles underworld. The film is beautiful to look at, especially the scenes in the bowling alley, which feature a vast array of bizarre characters--including Steve Buscemi, John Turturro, Sam Elliott, and the movie-stealing, riotously funny John Goodman as the Dude's crazy best buddy. As usual in Coen brothers films (BARTON FINK, RAISING ARIZONA), the dialogue is hysterically warped; the plot is confusing, complicated, and kinetic; the soundtrack is virtually another character; and the acting is weirdly stellar. THE BIG LEBOWSKI is yet another thoroughly entertaining foray into the strange and fascinating world ruled by Joel and Ethan Coen. [More]

Starring: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi

Starring: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, David Huddleston, John Turturro, Peter Stormare, David Thewlis, Ben Gazzara, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Tara Reid, Flea, Torsten Voges, Philip Moon, Mark Pellegrino, Jack Kehler, Aimee Mann, Asia Carrera, Jerry Haleva

Director: Joel Coen

Director: Joel Coen
Producer: Ethan Coen, Eric Fellner, Tim Bevan
Screenwriter: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Composer: Carter Burwell

[See More Credits]

Reviews for The Big Lebowski

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1 - 20 (sorted by source; Australian critics are listed first)
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Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Dark Horizons | comment Comment
03/14/05
Garth Franklin
Garth Franklin
Dark Horizons
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: In Film Australia | comment Comment
01/01/00
Luke Buckmaster
Luke Buckmaster
In Film Australia
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It may not be Fargo, but you’ll be swept away by the sheer nonsensical, farcical wonder of it all.

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
01/01/00
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The Coen Brothers try really hard to be outrageously funny, and they succeed more often than they fail.

comment Comment
08/11/03
Carlo Cavagna
Carlo Cavagna
AboutFilm.com

Not that The Big Lebowski is without its charms, but, like its central character, it is occasionally aimless and incoherent.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
01/01/00
Dan Jardine
Dan Jardine
Apollo Guide

In many ways, The Big Lebowski has surpassed Fargo as the Coens' high-water mark.

Full Review Source: Arizona Daily Star | comment 1 Comment
08/05/05
Phil Villarreal
Phil Villarreal
Arizona Daily Star

... a loving study of Los Angeles loserdom.

Full Review Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette | comment Comment
01/02/05
Philip Martin
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Some viewers have criticized the movie for being too much of a shaggy dog story, lacking a cohesive point or purpose. Yet to look for the point is to miss it entirely. Coen-heads hop aboard for the ride.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
01/01/00
Marjorie Baumgarten
Marjorie Baumgarten
Austin Chronicle

It's the wealth of great characters and their insane dialogue that make this a memorable film.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
04/17/01
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It's best just to accept The Big Lebowski on its own anything-goes terms.

Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
01/01/00
Gary Susman
Gary Susman
Boston Phoenix

An indulgent spoof, Big Lebowski isn’t a straight gutter ball, but it’s no strike, either.

Full Review Source: Boulder Weekly | comment 1 Comment
02/27/04
Thomas Delapa
Thomas Delapa
Boulder Weekly

It sounds like another precious Coen brothers gimmick, but in Bridges' hands it becomes a hysterical running joke.

Full Review Source: Bryant Frazer's Deep Focus | comment Comment
01/01/00
Bryant Frazer
Bryant Frazer
Bryant Frazer's Deep Focus

Stylish and wickedly funny black comedy illuminated by a great performance from Jeff Bridges, and loaded with all the Coen brothers' trademark wit and flair.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
05/06/08
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The Dude and Sobchak begin as caricatures too, but they're allowed to grow into something deeper, if only because the humanist economy of the Coens' surrealist vaudeville allows for a couple of human beings within the tapestry of freaks.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
01/01/00
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader

It's weirdly engaging, like its hero.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
01/01/00
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Viewers with a taste for bizarre, even surreal, humor will have a ball.

Full Review Source: Christian Science Monitor | comment Comment
01/01/00
David Sterritt
David Sterritt
Christian Science Monitor

Loopy, unfathomable, profane and very funny.

Full Review Source: Cincinnati Enquirer | comment Comment
10/15/02
Margaret A. McGurk
Margaret A. McGurk
Cincinnati Enquirer

O 'Dude' é um personagem absolutamente fascinante.

Full Review Source: Cinema em Cena | comment Comment
05/31/02
Pablo Villaca
Pablo Villaca
Cinema em Cena

This time, they have all the parts together, but someone forgot the glue.

Full Review Source: Cinematter | comment Comment
01/01/00
Madeleine Williams
Madeleine Williams
Cinematter

The Big Lebowski tiene el efecto deseado: creer en los personaje, aún sin creer necesariamente en la historia.

Full Review Source: Cinenganos | comment Comment
06/06/04
Alex Ramirez
Alex Ramirez
Cinenganos
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by source; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 >> >|
all

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