Any time a movie opens with a tumbleweed -- straight from an old western flick ---- lightly bouncing its way through downtown Los Angeles and accompanied by the twangy tune, "Tumbling Tumbleweeds," you can be pretty sure you're not watching an ordinary film. Of course that description fits every picture released by the Coen brothers.
Those sibling artists and their films -- "Fargo," "Raising Arizona," "Barton Fink," and several others -- have long been favorites among critics and moviegoers who want something more than your standard issue Hollywood release. Essentially "high-end" independent filmmakers, Joel, the director, and Ethan, the producer, have consistently delivered interesting, entertaining, and decidedly offbeat films for more than a decade.
With the success of their critically acclaimed and Oscar winning hit "Fargo" from 1997, their latest release is faced with mounting anticipation and eager questions. How would they follow up that hit? Would it be a more straight-laced film like "Fargo," or something more surreal in the mode of "Barton Fink?" For typical Hollywood types, this would probably create many meetings with the studio's big brass, as well as public surveys, countless rewrites, and a great many Maalox moments.
Noted for their laid back production and shooting styles, however, the Coen brothers simply set out to make another one of their signature abstract, but always interesting films. With "The Big Lebowski," they've definitely succeeded. More in tune with their earlier works than with "Fargo," this film plays out much like a night of wild dreams and nightmares after eating an odd combination of food the night before. In fact, the movie contains a few of its own strange dream scenes, including an Ali Baba-type flying carpet moment, and a Busby Berkeley inspired sequence that's all over the cinematic map. It's weird, but it comes off as eye candy in a way only the Coen's could deliver.
As in many of their other films, they've also succeeded in scoring another casting coupe. Featuring a strong ensemble cast -- including Coen film regulars such as Steve Buscemi, John Goodman and John Turturro, as well as "newcomers" Jeff Bridges and Julianne Moore -- the brothers have fashioned a story that showcases the performers and the unique characters they inhabit.
Three time Oscar nominee Bridges ("Starman," "Fearless") has always been, in our view, one of the better actors working in films today. Easily dropping into whatever role in which his services are needed, Bridges has always been completely believable as any of the wide range of characters he's played. Here, sporting mismatched "beach" clothing and listening to tape recordings of previous bowling matches for mediation/relaxation, Bridges creates a guy who dropped out of society long ago and doesn't really care. Of course that's so much the better for the plot that then shakes up that laid back lifestyle.
John Goodman ("The Borrowers" and TV's "Roseanne") also creates a highly interesting character -- a high strung, loudmouth Vietnam vet. Ready to explode at any moment and very serious about bowling, Goodman is fun to watch in this definitely offbeat creation. Steve Buscemi ("The Wedding Singer," "Fargo"), on the other hand, who usually plays such characters, is resigned here to playing the reserved, third banana. While you keep waiting for him to do something outrageous, it never comes as Goodman's character constantly bullies him into submission. Still, it's always a delight to find him in any film.
The outrageous performance award goes to John Turturro ("Barton Fink," "Quiz Show") who plays a hyped up Latino bowler by the name of Jesus Quintana. Dressed in colorful, skintight outfits and sporting one long, painted fingernail, the brief moments he appears on screen are wild and one only wishes there were more moments with him. While we're initially led to believe that some big showdown between him and The Dude's team will happen, it unfortunately never does.
In fact, that's part of the film's biggest problem. There are so many quirky characters and individual moments that you expect something really grandiose or exciting to happen. Sure it's fun to watch as the Coen's and cinematographer Roger Deakins ("Fargo") deliver some impressively shot, but always off-kilter scenes that -- in the truest sense of the phrase -- are eye- popping eye candy. For instance, an interesting, and nearly stomach churning moment involves our seeing the point of view of a bowling ball making its way down the alley, end over end over end.
Yet, after a while -- like consuming candy of the normal type -- the allure begins to fade when that appetite is satiated. After seeing all of this wild visual stuff, and meeting these uniquely quirky characters, one expects something more from the story than what is ultimately delivered. While it's interesting for a while and the oddities hold our attention, the plot eventually begins to drag. Proof positive was listening to the audience at our screening, as the laughter at the onscreen outrageousness slowly but surely faded during the latter reels.
Much of the plot rides on the eager, over determination of Goodman's character to "fix" things that then obviously go wrong due to his overzealous plans. It's funny at first -- a comedy of errors and oddities -- but after a while we pick up on that pattern and soon too easily predict where they'll next go wrong and what the results will be. It doesn't entirely ruin the film, but it lets out a let of the air from the proceedings.
The script does have its decent moments, including the fact that everyone -- even a dignified butler -- finishes their sentences to Bridges' character with "dude" that makes this seem like a surfer or "Bill & Ted" movie. One wishes, however, that the Coen's -- who collaboratively wrote the script -- had focused as much energy making the plot as quirky and fun as the characters and visual elements. Much of the film's tone is odd just for odd's sake, and while that is often interesting, it can only take a movie so far before we grow acclimated and realize that it's doing nothing to move the story onward.
Even so, it's not a horrible problem, and this release will probably please fans of the Coen brothers and their previous works. One thing is for certain -- you'll probably be hard pressed to find another film this year that's as interesting to watch. With a fun visual style and deeply drawn and definitely quirky characters, it's just too bad they couldn't deliver as good a script to complete their cinematic trifecta. As it stands, it burns out too quickly in our eyes to be considered as one of their best films, but still comes off as an oddly entertaining piece. Thus, we give "The Big Lebowski" a 6.5 out of 10.