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

The Coen Brothers and the film ‘Fargo’

Joel Coen and Ethan Coen won the Academy Award for screenplay written for the screen with their film Fargo (1996). Frances McDormand won the Academy Award for her role as Marge Gunderson in the same movie. The film was granted five other Oscar nominations in the same year. While playing in the genres of crime, drama, and possibly thriller, the movie most correctly should be characterized as a dark comedy in small town America.

(William H. Macy stars as Jerry Lundegaard in Fargo).

The movie starts with Jerry Lundegaard, as portrayed by William H. Macy, contracting with two criminals to kidnap his wife in order to extort money from his father-in-law.  Lundegaard’s relationship with both his wife and her father was too weak to ask for a loan. The transaction is established in a backwoods bar in or around the winter environs of Fargo, North Dakota.

(Peter Stormare, right, and Steve Buscemi in Fargo).

The heavily dysfunctional criminals contracted for the kidnapping were Carol Showalter, as played by Steve Buscemi, and Gaear Grimsrud as portrayed by Peter Stormare. Harve Presnell plays Wade Gustafson, the domineering father to Jerry Lundegaard. As you may be detecting, the movie characters were given Nordic names. Actors spoke with accents to match. The aim here was comedic effect.

(Harve Presnell, left, and William H. Macy).

The foil in much of the movie’s shenanigans is pregnant policewoman Marge Gunderson, who we learned is portrayed by Academy Award winner Frances McDormand. Gunderson, the character, is married to Norm Gunderson. Norm Gunderson, as portrayed by John Carroll Lynch, is the bumbling yet loving and supportive husband with oddly homey characteristics that fit in remarkably well with all the homespun feel of this entire film.

(Frances McDormand as Marge Gunderson in Fargo).

Marge Gunderson, besides giving us the realism of a woman seven months pregnant, shows marvelously comedic restraint in tolerating truly appalling small town behavior throughout the film. The scenes including and alluding to Mike Yanagita highlight essential qualities of Marge for the audience.

(John Carroll Lynch as Norm Gunderson in Fargo).

Without having given away all of the jokes, plot, and comedy contained within this movie, let me articulate that this movie portrays the odd humor of the Coen Brothers well. The emotional impact for this movie for the pair forecasts some of the strange twists in storytelling and feel that future movies from these two would would foster. As mentioned, these two did win the Academy Award for the impact this film had for the folks voting for the Academy Awards following the 1996 movie year.

(Joel Coen, left, and Ethan Coen).

Fargo aims for an odd mixture of humor, awkwardness, and joke telling that is homie and effective in its own way. The humor is insufficiently main stream while being distinctly on brand for the Coen Brothers to recommend watching. My rating for the movie Fargo is 3.50-stars on a scale of one-to-five stars.

Matt – Saturday, February 23, 2019