Yeah, Well Great Movie Man

The Big Lebowski is a movie that I had heard endless great things about, but never actually seen until now.  The talented actors that are in the movie were enough to get me to watch it.  Overall, I was extremely pleased with the film.

The Big Lebowski is the the story of "The Dude" who wants repayment for his stolen rug, and ends up getting entangled in a kidnapping mystery. What I love so much about the film is the story.  This movie could have easily been confusing to follow, but in the hands of the Coen Brothers it is very entertaining and not one detail is skipped over.  Well, almost every detail.  There are a couple flaws in the film, one of them very minor and the other is glaringly obvious.  When "The Dude" (Jeff Bridges) first gets Walter (John Goodman) involved, he just picks him up seemingly out of nowhere.  I would have liked to have seen a story element that requires his involvement.  The more important flaw in this movie involves the character of Donny, played by Steve Buscemi.  There is absolutely no use for his character.  Donny exists only so Walter has someone to yell at.  He contributes nothing to the story, which is why his death falls flat for me.  Despite this issue, the film is executed very well and, even though it is a comedy, keeps you on the edge of your seat as you wait to figure out what happens.

Jeff Bridges plays "The Dude", a very simple and laid back man who does not have a care in the world.  Bridges plays the character perfectly, right down to his smartass remarks and even his physical movement.  One of the great joys in seeing The Big Lebowski for the first time was finally seeing Bridges play what is arguably his most popular role.

John Goodman plays Walter Sobchak.  Sobchak is man who is obsessed with the Vietnam Conflict, and gets extremely angry when something happens that he does not approve of.  I have always been a fan of John Goodman, and it was hilarious watching him play this character and get angry over the tiniest thing.  Sobchak is also a great contribution to the story because he is the whole reason that "The Dude" gets mixed up in this mess.  This a great character that is even better in the hands of John Goodman.

Joel Coen is the director of The Big Lebowski.  I love watching anything that has one, or both, of the Coens behind the camera because everything is so perfectly framed.  The Big Lebowski is no different.  Joel Coen frames things so well that even the opening credits are enough to make a film junkie go bonkers.  He also knows that, even with a great cast of characters, this is The Dude's story and everyone else is just along for the ride.  Not a single frame is wasted, particularly on Jeff Bridges.

Even with its flaws, The Big Lebowski is a classic film.  The great story and characters make you want to watch this film over and over again.  Put this on any "100 Movies To See Before You Die" list.

Old-Timers Still Matter

I love No Country for Old Men more and more every time I see it.  I have also found that it is a very divisive movie among film fans and the general movie-going audience.  I always love a movie that gets people talking, regardless of how I feel about said movie.

No Country for Old Men is the story of a hunter who stumbles on a deal gone wrong, and takes more than two million dollars.  The screenplay for this movie is damn near perfect.  This is a movie that makes you pay attention to the detail of the writing as you watch the film play out on screen.  This is why the Coen Brothers are such brilliant writers as well as directors.

I have been a huge of Tommy Lee Jones for almost 20 years.  He is a very naturalistic actor, and he brings all of his natural gifts to his role as Ed Tom Bell.  Bell is a man who has been a Sheriff all his life.  He is a very experienced man who remains cool and calm, even in the tensest of situations.  You can also see that he wants to get to the bottom of the situation as soon as possible.  Tommy Lee Jones gives a very well-rounded performance that gets more enjoyable to watch every time I see this movie.

Javier Bardem plays Anton Chigurh.  Chigurh is a sociopathic killer who is prepared for virtually any situation.  I have a soft spot for characters who only talk when necessary, and do their job and move on.  Chigurh is exactly that.  This makes him a very menacing character because everything he says is in his facial expressions.  I am stricken with fear every time I watch this movie because of Bardem’s work, which is why he deserved to win Best Supporting Actor.

Josh Brolin plays Llewelyn Moss.  It took me a while to understand his motivations in the movie.  What is he going to do with the money now that he has stolen it?  The answer is nothing.  He takes the money because he wants it for himself.  This greedy, selfish act is what causes everything else in the movie to happen.  I always like ordinary characters who are thrust into extraordinary situations.  Moss knows Chigurh is after him because of the money, and yet he still will not give it up.  He is a very intelligent man who seemingly covers his tracks very well, even though Chigurh is always right behind him.  I have to say that Brolin plays a Texan very convincingly.  He does a very good job of playing the “every-man”.  There is also a persistence to Moss that Brolin plays very convincingly.

Joel and Ethan Coen are the directors of No Country for Old Men.  I love what they do as directors because every shot is framed so perfectly.  I also really like that there is a supreme lack of lighting in the movie.  The darkness really adds to the eeriness and creepiness of the movie.  Also, the lack of music makes you feel the tension of the situations along with the characters.

No Country for Old Men is a masterpiece.  I like the fact that the ending is open-ended because you get to use your imagination about what happens to these characters.  As I said before, this is a very divisive movie among film fans.  I think many people found it odd that it won Best Picture.  Based on the controversy alone, I highly recommend you see this movie.