- Sensibility: This film is ridiculous through-and-through, but the characters are so well-defined and the narrative flows in such a thoughtful way that amongst the chaos there is great reasonability.
- Cinematography: Production design and costuming are so particular and excellent that they are a huge reason why all of the characters in this film are so memorable. The film has so many details visually
that make it great even on the 10th rewatch.
- Energy: Top-tier performances from the whole cast, particularly John Goodman and Jeff Bridges, carry this film far beyond what the screenplay reflects. Even the more bizarre bits of the film are
tolerable because the film has nearly no let-downs.
- Narrative: The writing is so strong for dialogue and the characters involved that every character in the film is memorable. Even side characters with only a few lines stand out because there is something interesting
written into every single one.
It's one of those films that just has exactly the right mix of absurd humor, great writing, and quote-able dialogue to make it a home-run cult classic.
- T-Points: The film received five bonus points. I could award all points on dialogue lines alone, as there are like 20+ lines of dialogue I quote fairly regularly: "New shit has come to light" and "I'm just gonna go find a cash machine" are serious heavy hitters. However,
on top of the dialogue, the film has side characters that, in most films, would just be throw-aways, but here are so memorable and add so much with so little: Donny, Larry Sellers, Jesus, and Sam Elliot's character are all undeniably great. The final cherry-on-top
is that this film with so much comedy has a story that is complex and interesting enough to merit watching over, and over, and over again.
This film holds a special place in my heart. Every rewatch I am impressed at the cinematic and experiential quality of this film despite it's reputation. One of my all-time favorites without a doubt.
Number of Watches: 5
