Worthy effort: The Big Lebowski Lite (6/10)

“I’m in. Except for no money, it’s a no-brainer for me. First off, making a stag film *has* to be a good time. Number two, my hat’s off to you. Good job. We can do this. Wha-what are we talking about here? Making a dirty movie – film, whatever, whatever. What does that require? Pointing a camera at a he and a she… he’in and a-she’in.” — Otis

This enthusiastic abandon of Otis (William Fichtner) gives you an idea of the characterological (!) method of the movie.  In addition to Otis, who has this childish, charming kinetic all-directions-at-once quality, virtually every one of the characters is the epitome of quirk.  [Which is why the movie reminds me so much of The Big Lebowski, at least for the Jeff Bridges role as Andy Sargentee; the key difference between The Amateurs and the Coen brothers’ classic lies in the heavier underlying plot material of Lebowski.] Continue reading →