Jeff Bridges, John Goodman and Julianne Moore in the Coen Brothers movie ‘The Big Lebowski’

Joel Coen and Ethan Coen were inspired by the work of Raymond Chandler to write and direct the movie The Big Lebowski (1998). As older brother Joel Coen was quoted in an archived article of IndieWire referenced here, the Coen Brothers “wanted to do a Chandler kind of story – how it moves episodically, and deals with the characters trying to unravel a mystery, as well as having a hopelessly complex plot that’s ultimately unimportant.”

(From left, Jeff Bridges as Jeffrey ‘The Dude’ Lebowski, Steve Buscemi as Theodore Donald ‘Donny’ Kerabatsos and John Goodman as Walter Sobchak in the Coen Brothers movie The Big Lebowski).

Slacker and bowler Jeffrey ‘The Dude’ Lebowski, as portrayed by Jeff Bridges, opens The Big Lebowski as the victim of a crime in his own Los Angeles, California home. Pornography magnate Jackie Treehorn, as portrayed by Ben Gazzara, sends two enforcers after Lebowski to collect on the debts incurred by what the enforcers believe is the Dude’s wife. It’s only after harassing the Dude and damaging his property that the enforcers realize they’ve found the wrong Jeffrey Lebowski.

(From left, Philip Seymour Hoffman as Brandt and David Huddleston as Jeffrey ‘The Big’ Lebowski in the Coen Brothers movie The Big Lebowski).

The appropriate man is, of course, Jeffrey ‘The Big’ Lebowski as portrayed by David Huddleston. After discussing the matter with bowling buddies Walter Sobchak and Theodore Donald ‘Donny’ Kerabatsos, as portrayed by John Goodman and Steve Buscemi respectively, the Dude confronts the Big at the Big’s mansion. The affluent Jeffrey abusively dismisses his slacker namesake in response to a request for restitution. Before encountering Bunny Lebowski as portrayed by Tara Reid when departing the mansion, the Dude uses trickery to convince Brandt as portrayed by Philip Seymour Hoffman to allow him, that is Dude, to take property from the mansion as recompense for the Dude’s trouble.

(From left, Julianne Moore as Maude Lebowski and Tara Reid as Bunny Lebowski in the Joel Coen and Ethan Coen movie The Big Lebowski).

Extending the comedy of absurdity further, Bunny is soon considered kidnapped. The affluent Lebowski hires the Dude to rectify that situation with a briefcase reportedly full of money. Franz, Uli Kunkel and Kieffer, as portrayed by Torsten Voges, Peter Stormare and Flea retrieve the property taken by the Dude owing to the fond feelings that Maude Lebowski, as portrayed by Julianne Moore, has for that property.

(From left, Torsten Voges as Franz, Peter Stormare as Uli Kunkel & Karl Hungus and Flea as Kieffer in the Joel Coen and Ethan Coen movie The Big Lebowski).

In addressing the supposed kidnapping, absurd craziness ensues at the behest of Jeffrey ‘the Big’ Lebowski through the hands of Walter Sobchak. The exchange of money for the life goes horribly wrong, with the money getting stolen at the bowling alley later that night. As the comically absurd sequence extends further, we encounter Jesus Quintana as portrayed by John Turturro and The Stranger as portrayed by Sam Elliott for commentaries regarding different aspects of the story that unravels in front of us. The insinuation of Maude Lebowski at seemingly odd times and in bold ways through the unfolding of the mystery adds to the theatre of comedy that this movie presents.

(Sam Elliott as The Stranger in the Joel Coen and Ethan Coen movie The Big Lebowski).

Through the episodic and humorously explicit charm of the wild scenes of the movie, the expressively lighthearted way the Dude abides the comedy of what happens around him proves to be the charm that makes the movie work. Jeff Bridges really pulls off the feel good comedy of that part with skill. I grant The Big Lebowski as written and directed by the Coen Brothers 4.0-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Wednesday, November 29, 2023

James Stewart, Lee Remick and Ben Gazzara and the Otto Preminger film ‘Anatomy of a Murder’

We’ve recently looked at the notion of wholesome, family friendly entertainment with different movies on Matt Lynn Digital with Jumanji (1995). We also have looked into the clean-cut reputation of the actor James Stewart. In reviewing the Otto Preminger directed movie Anatomy of a Murder (1959) as based on the 1958 Robert Traver (aka Michigan Supreme Court Justice John D. Voelker) named Anatomy of a Murder, we see a popular entertainment that turned the concepts of wholesome, family friendly and clean cut actor on their head.

(From left, James Stewart as Paul Biegler, Ben Gazzara as Lt. Frederick Manion, and Arthur O’Connell as Parnell McCarthy in the Otto Preminger movie Anatomy of a Murder).

Anatomy of a Murder stars James Stewart as struggling former district attorney Paul Biegler, whose amiable personality and focus on fishing belie the fact that Biegler’s law office is an underwater, poorly managed mess. In aiming to support bumbling friend Parnell McCarthy straighten a misguided, alcoholic life of his own, the case of an accused murder with Lt. Frederick Manion is presented. Arthur O’Connell portrays McCarthy as Ben Gazzara portrays Manion.

(Lee Remick as Laura Manion in the Otto Preminger movie Anatomy of a Murder).

Laura Manion, as portrayed by Lee Remick, seeks the support of Biegler when her husband, Lt. Frederick Manion, is arrested for the murder of innkeeper Bernard “Barney” Quill. Frederick Manion does not deny the murder, yet seeks a defense based on the proposed mitigation that his wife, Laura, had been raped by Quill. Establishing those facts, and arguing them in a court case that promises to get salacious, makes for a clear turn from family friendly and clean cut.

(From left, Eve Arden as Maida Rutledge and Kathryn Grant as Mary Pilant in the Otto Preminger movie Anatomy of a Murder).

Eve Arden portrays Biegler’s sardonic secretary Maida Rutledge, who aims to assist her boss loyally while pointing out points of weakness in Biegler’s approach along the way. The clear defense strategy becomes one of keeping things focused on a court case while aiming to tie a theory of temporary insanity to the underlying argument of rape.

(From left, George C. Scott as Claude Dancer, Joseph N. Welch as Judge Weaver and Alexander Campbell as Dr. Gregory Harcourt in the Otto Preminger movie Anatomy of a Murder).

When things get to court, prosecutor Claude Dancer, as portrayed by George C. Scott, aims to prevent this theory of the crime from ever being admitted. The skill of the prosecutorial experience and maneuvering proves formidable, as does the underlying investigation by Biegler and others to establish the facts. The question of the validity of the defense theory coupled with the sketchy quality of the witnesses of the crime make for compelling drama in what again was a salacious set of details that put Biegler, and James Stewart in his portrayal of Biegler, in a more mature perspective he hadn’t been in previously.

(From left, James Stewart as Paul Biegler and Duke Ellington as ‘Pie-Eye’ in the Otto Preminger movie Anatomy of a Murder).

The music of Duke Ellington, with an uncredited part in the film itself, serves the movie Anatomy of a Murder well. The story includes intriguing twists and turns with compelling conflict that proves interesting. The exploration of where lines of legitimacy are drawn in and out of the courtroom are viewed on both sides of moral questions in Otto Preminger‘s movie. The Wendell Mayes screenplay aids in my granting 4-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Wednesday, June 2, 2021