Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2404 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-04-03
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Formats: PAL, Special Edition, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 113 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
After the tight plotting and quirky intensity of Fargo, this casually amusing follow-up from the prolifically inventive Coen (Ethan and Joel) brothers seems like a bit of a lark, and the result was a box-office disappointment. The good news is, The Big Lebowski is every bit a Coen movie, and its lazy plot is part of its laidback charm. After all, how many movies can claim as their hero a pot-bellied, pot-smoking loser named Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski (Jeff Bridges) who spends most of his time bowling and getting stoned? And where else could you find a hairnetted Latino bowler named Jesus (John Turturro) who sports dazzling purple footgear, or an erotic artist (Julianne Moore) whose creativity consists of covering her naked body in paint, flying through the air in a leather harness, and splatting herself against a giant canvas? Who else but the Coens would think of showing you a camera view from inside the holes of a bowling ball, or an elaborate Busby Berkely-styled musical dream sequence involving a Viking goddess and giant bowling pins? The plot--which finds Lebowski involved in a kidnapping scheme after he's mistaken for a rich guy with the same name--is almost beside the point. What counts here is a steady cascade of hilarious dialogue, great work from Coen regulars John Goodman and Steve Buscemi, and the kind of cinematic ingenuity that puts the Coens in a class all their own. Be sure to watch with snacks in hand, because The Big Lebowski might give you a giddy case of the munchies. --Jeff Shannon

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 world the many glories of The Big LebowskiI. 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 LebowskiI is yet another thoroughly entertaining foray into the strange and fascinating world ruled by Joel and Ethan Coen.

Customer Reviews

sometimes you eat the bar, sometimes the bar eats you
What really ties a movie together? Taut direction, terrific cast, well-drawn characterization, rambling narrative, immortal one-liners, offbeat plot twists, impeccable cinematography, impressive camerawork or captivating soundtrack?..... "The Big Lebowski" is rare kind of picture which blends all these elements together.

"Lebowski" is one of the typical Coen Brothers films that you will either love or hate, there is very little middle ground. Not only one of the most re-watchable movie you will ever see; but also, along with "O Brother, Where Art Thou?", it ranks as the best off-the-wall comedy brothers have made so far.

For a film about absolutely nothing, "The Big Lebowski" has everything. Yes it is weird, wildly uneven and out of reality as its protagonist: "The Dude", unmotivated, unemployed, apathetic and unapologetic L.A. slacker who wants nothing more than to bowl, to sip on White Russian, and to puff on joints now and then. The Dude, totally stuck in the 1970s counterculture, becomes the victim of mistaken identity. He eventually finds himself in the middle of a bizarre kidnapping and ransom case. As the plot unwinds, the mystery of kidnapping becomes secondary, and all attention is drawn into the quirky characters and wacky circumstances encountered by "The Dude" in his odyssey.

I credit most of the film's energy to the chemistry, especially polar opposition between the Dude and his sidekick Walter. Against the Dude's mellow, take-it-easy style, Walter is ever-pragmatic, constantly-overreacting and gun-toting character who always makes the wrong assumptions and ends up spoiling everything. Walter's misconceptions and blunders infuriate the Dude all the time and all these situations are a laugh riot.

Last word: Like so many of Coen Brother's films, there is much more going underneath. There are lots of subtle and clever details conveying some ironical social and political messages. "Lebowski" is well-filmed and well-acted commentary on the modern social condition, but this is the kind of movie it takes multiple viewings to fully appreciate and it's worth all the investment.

How to write a script, how to make a movie
This is a modern day classic. Everything about this movie is clever. Set in LA, home of Hollywood, it is as far from a Hollywood movie as you can get.

"The Dude" (Jeff Bridges) has his rug p!ssed upon due to a case of mistaken identity.. the results send him on a mission of intrigue, suspense and in-and-out burgers, they're good burgers!

This is a film noir, told entirely from the dudes perspective, there is only one scene not featuring him. The plot is twisted, strange and extremely funny. The script is a masterclass in writing characters and story. The film is a masterclass in directing. Bridges, Goodman, Moore, Turturro and Buscemi are perfect.

The soundtrack is bizzare, yet fits. Featuring both Creedence (who strangely don't feature on the CD soundtrack) who the dude loves and the eagles (in hispanic form) who the dude hates.

Buy this film, at £5 it's a steal. There's a good chance you'll love it and it certainly withstands multiple viewings.

The funniest film ever made...

...by a country mile!

The Coen brothers at their incredible best... pure genius

Many lifetime performances by an all-star line-up, but in particular, Jeff Bridges is just awesome... he IS the dude!

The characters are so completely engrossing that you don't care about the plot? (all the dude ever wanted was his rug back!). This film just rolls along through a sequence of brilliant, surreal situations and sub-plots, delivering a side-splitting dialogue and string of classic one-liners

Unless you're missing your funny bone you'll be in stitches time after time after time... buy it, watch it, roll around on the floor, watch it again, roll around some more, spread the word!

"Mr Treehorn treats objects like women man!"