Review of The Big Lebowski (1998) by Jeff C — 01 Jul 2013

I love this movie really but couldn't put my finger on the specific reasons until I read this from someone on Reddit:

"The characters are intentionally outlandish. (I mean, it's not as if Julianne Moore can't give a more subtle performance than that.) They're stereotypically ridiculous Hollywood film characters, obsessed with intrigue and violence and style, from the narrator on down the line. And The Dude is this odd counterpoint to this whole fantasy world, who precludes the suspension of belief that would make this a generic stylish Hollywood film. His presence betrays the absurdity of the other characters and the plot itself. While they are spewing off grandiose monologues, he can barely string a compound sentence together, and his dialogue is peppered with 'um's and 'like's that violate the common wisdom in regards to acting. In other words, he is the ultimate straight man-just some 'dude' in a world populated with caricatures.".