The Coen brothers work their usual magic on this madcap tale of a washed up stoner, The Dude, nee Jeff Lebowski, who gets unwittingly wrapped up in a kidnapping and extortion scheme. The film is characterized by top notch ensemble acting, several (literal) flights of cinematic fancy, and some darn good bowling footage. It is a film that is resolutely for our time, but paying homage to the likes of Hawks's The Big Sleep and Busby Berkeley's musical extravaganzas. 35mm
1998, color, 2 hours 7 minutes, USA