The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976)

2/5

Cassavetes's The Killling of a Chinese Bookie is far too long for the scintillas of content it contains. The meager plot simply cannot support its 2 hour 15 minute runtime. Ben Gazzara stars as a strip club owner who racks up an immense gambling debt one night and must perform the titular act to pay it back and save his club. It could have lasted less than 20 minutes, but instead they randomly added stuff (perhaps to generate "atmosphere" or "mood" or some other such crap) that I couldn't possibly care less about. For example, Cassavetes wastes 20 uninterrupted minutes showing a strip show--multiple times!--randomly, and without purpose, explanation, or relevance.

While I liked the visuals themselves, the cinematography as a whole was not too appealing. Far too frequently, the shot went out of focus and stayed on something we didn't care about instead of showing us what we did want to see. This is partly due to patient, lingering editing--editing far too loose for the boring subject matter. Also, the audio levels were inconsistent (it was often too quiet or too loud). On the bright side, I loved the music and acting. The music perfectly set the mood and the Gazzara's acting exploded off the screen. There was also a terrifically tense (if a bit extended and misplaced) climax. And the opening credits were pretty cool. But other than that, I can't figure out much reason to watch this movie.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074749/

The Big Lebowski (1998)

4/5

The first time I saw The Big Lebowski, I was a bit underwhelmed. I had heard the superlatives thrust about in zealous reviews, but at that time I was unfamiliar with the Coens and I didn't know "what it was that they did." Now I know, and I am truly impressed by their work here. Their inimitable style--from the precisely-crafted dialogue to the beautifully-envisioned compositions--is in full force in this movie. Unforgettable characters have emerged from forgettable roles. Simple phrases have become generational mottos. This is a movie that will remain in the collective cultural memory for a long time to come.

The humor finds itself in what the characters do and do not say and how they say it; it finds itself in their actions but more importantly in their motivations; it finds itself in the times, the places, and the moods of these individuals we slowly grow to appreciate if not love (thanks to narration by a "stranger"). While it is not particularly rare for me to laugh during a movie, it is hard for me to remember laughing so loudly, forcefully, and obnoxiously before this one.

Even so, the animated dream sequences are dated. I really don't like special effects that don't hold up over time. But there is a far more significant underlying problem I have with the film. As when I saw it the first time, I have trouble finding a point to it--something I can apply to my daily life more than simply quoting hilarious lines and/or putting them in my movie quotes quizzes. Maybe this movie is just entertainment, but I think the Coens should do more than that. I certainly know they can. But the question is whether or not I got anything more out of it than hearty laughs and good memories; and what is the answer? Does anyone have an answer in the affirmative, because I very much would like to love this movie more than I already do, and that is one major hurdle it must jump. Still, I would pop this movie in the DVD player in a heartbeat if I ever needed a quick laugh. And it's definitely worth watching if you haven't seen it already.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0118715/