Ben Daniels’s review published on Letterboxd:
It's taken me a long time to figure out why The Big Lebowski is such a cult movie and isn't more popular. The Coen Brothers have made some huge films, so why don't more people know this? Especially since this film stars Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Julianne Moore and others. Surely people would know this movie? Well. No.
The simple reason I think this is a cult movie is because it is a character movie. A lot of people, mostly an audience not dedicated to loving film, go to a comedy movie for lots of gags. The Big Lebowski isn't funny because of it's gags. It can be, but only once or twice. This film is funny because of it's characters. That's why this film is so popular on a niche website for film lovers like Letterboxd but not on say, the IMDB. (Which is why this is only 132 on the Top 250 list.)
I watched this with my friend who had never seen it before, and for the first fourty minutes or so he was largely unimpressed. Somewhere, halfway in, he began really enjoying it. He would laugh just at how John Goodman walks. At the end of the movie, he was pissing himself at every line John Goodman said.
That is what it's about. The characters and their portrayals is the real comedy here, and not only is it funnier than numerous gags could ever be, it also never gets tiresome or repetitive. This film only gets better on a rewatch, where you can know the characters better. My three experiences watching The Big Lebowski have gotten funnier each time.
Truly, I believe, that no movie to my knowledge, except There Will Be Blood, has ever had such strong characterisation. Each character is not only written brilliantly with these distinguishing characteristics, but their portrayal is beyond perfect too.
The Big Lebowski, in some ways then, is a movie for movie fans, which explains it's cult status. Well, the mainstream can keep it's Hangovers and This Is The End's, I'd have The Big Lebowski over them any day. Simply a perfect movie that gets better every time you see it.
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