Jeff Bridges in his Coolest Role?

I know there are a lotta Lebowski fans out there, but honestly, Jeff was just cool deluxe in this thing, yes?

The generally deadpan and non-commital way he carrieshimself early on, always doing great work at the piano but holding in his bitterness about his real feelings as best he could. The not-saying-much. The smoking (smoking can be cool to LOOK at, still.) The longish hair. The long overcoats. The vulnerability. The attitude.

Brother Beau -- certainly handsome enough in his own way and much more so in his younger days -- bravely played the older, paunchier, square brother and let brother Jeff take over in the charisma department. It was as if the two brothers were willing to confront the brutal honesty of stardom in Hollywood: you're a star (Jeff) or you're not (Beau.) It all gets sorted out.

Jeff Bridges has been a star of sorts for many years (starting pretty much as an unformed, plump-faced youngin' in "Last Picture Show"), but honestly, in "The Fabulous Baker Boys"...he's a movie star, all the way. Grown up, matured, manly. Joe Cool.

P.S. Writer on film David Thomson wrote that Jeff Bridges reached Robert Mitchum-like levels of coolness in this film.