The Big Lebowski wins it for me easily, but Raising Arizona was pretty damn funny as well. The Cohen Brothers really do know how to make amazing comedys as well as other things.
The Big Lebowski just had a much more charismatic central character, played by the unforgettable Jeff Bridges. In terms of writing, both were amazing comedies, though BL might have a few more really great punch lines.
shareFargo > Raising Arizona > Big Lebowski
shareFargo > No Country for Old Men > Blood Simple > The Big Lebowski > O Brother, Where Art Thou? > Raising Arizona >>>> Burn After Reading >>>>>>>>> Intolerable Cruelty >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The Ladykillers
Will I lie to myself to be happy? In your case Teddy, yes I will.
The Big Lebowski, but barely.
I love almost all the Coen Brother movies. I have a particular soft spot for this one, as it came so early in their careers, and signified without a doubt that they were a cut way above their peers, and would be so for years to come.
This film i probably find to be their best.
I do think Fargo is a 'perfect' movie, though Raising Arizona had more going on, more fun, more cinematographic movements, more metaphor.
There is something to be said about film-makers who are young and hungry. They hadn't quite 'hit it big' when they made this film, but they were getting there.
Other films, later on like Lebowski or Country for Old Men are more refined, but they don't have that same hunger.
Raising Arizona all the way. It's my favourite Coen bros film. Much as i like The Big Lebowski, it's a long way down the list in relation to their other films.
"Perhaps he's wondering why someone would SHOOT a man before throwing him out of a plane..."
Raising Arizona. No contest. BL is funny; RA has humor AND a touch of pathos.
The best shows deserve our loud and vocal praise, directed at those that can make a difference.
Both are eternally quotable and put me into crying fits of uncontrollable laughter.
"One gold tooth like I'm Sha-Shabba Ranks"
Well neither are my favorite, nor my favorite Coen movie, but here it goes.
The Big Lebowski has an overly complex plot filled with scenes of seemingly no point. And it's a great experiment of filling an, on the surface, silly comedy with off-the-wall characters in a plot that is overly complex with scenes that don't have anything to do with the story. It almost satirizes the comedies that have no plot at all or no focus with a whole bunch of scenes that have nothing to do with the story, but in a much better manner than, say, Burn After Reading and it surprisingly makes us forget about all of those things the movie never solved, like the bowling competition that never happened. It's respect for the overly complex storied noir movies before it is also something that gets over-looked. And then, the characters. The Dude is obviously just a bum getting caught up in all of this for having the same last name of Mr. Lebowski. Walter is an ex-war veteran that promotes and tries, maybe a little too hard, to show off his masculinity and how being an ex-war veteran who goes and bowls can, or can try to retain it. Donny just shows up, gets pushed around and dies. Mr. Lebowski just wants trouble. All of these, sort of, pathetic and unreliable male characters, and then we look at the other side of the spectrum. Mr. Lebowski's wife is just a free-loving carefree person who is just with Lebowski for his money and doesn't have another care in the world. Maude is a feminist who solves a lot just through her first scene. And because we're left with The Dude and his friends for the whole movie, the audience, as well as The Dude, doesn't catch on when she explains the plot of the movie in that very scene. And, with all of that, we have unreliable men and extreme females. And with these unreliable male characters, who do we root for? The Dude. And that's just kind of unheard of.
Raising Arizona is just pure entertainment, in a way. It doesn't really say a lot and there isn't a whole lot of subtext to be explored. It's mostly just pure fun.
So, I suppose Lebowski is my favorite out of the two. Even then, Raising Arizona will always have a place in my heart.
Will I lie to myself to be happy? In your case Teddy, yes I will.