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THE BIG LEBOWSKI is closer to a character study than the caper com- edy it thinks it is. Though neither as fit nor funny as FARGO, the Coen Brother's latest is still a must-see, first for Jeff Bridges, as a pothead bowler who calls himself "the Dude," and second, for John Goodman, as the Dude's extra-intense league-mate and partner- in-crime. They've never been funnier. The rest of the expectedly eclectic cast doesn't register as well as you might think, though John Tuturro is a howl in his two or three scenes. (He plays the pedophilic pin-pounder "Jesus.") As usual, heaps of quirky Coen humor abound, though, this time, the smaller details are often far funnier than the larger and more elaborately constructed comic ideas. Fabulous photography, too, by frequent Coen collaborator Roger Deakins. If only the plot weren't so damned difficult to follow... With Philip Seymour Hoffman, David Huddleston, Steve Buscemi, Julianne Moore, Peter Stormare, and Sam Elliot. (Rated "R"/115 min.) Grade: B- Copyright 1998 Michael J. Legeros Movie Hell is a trademark of Michael J. Legeros
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