The Coen brothers are one of the great mysteries in the film industry today. They follow no set filmmaking formula, have a true collaboration in an industry filled with backstabbing, and plug along relentlessly, never seeking popular acceptance of their work. Even though their last film, "Fargo," earned them universal critical praise as well as a few Oscars, one had to expect that their follow-up to "Fargo" would be as unexpected as Fargoî itself was. The one rule which the Coen brothers seem to follow in their filmmaking is to endlessly defy and confound expectations, from themselves, the industry, or their audience.

"The Big Lebowski" is not for fans of "Fargo." It is for fans of the Coen brothers, or fans of confident filmmaking. If you're expecting another Academy Awards triumph, then don't bother attending. To enjoy this film, you must be prepared to place yourself entirely in the hands of Joel and Ethan Coen. "Lebowski" is a journey with many bizarre twists and turns, revolving around a shifting center of character and a black hole of meaning. If you go wandering off on your own, you'll get lost. You need the Coens' guiding hand to survive this movie experience with your brain intact, just as they need you, the Viewer, on some level they probably refuse to acknowledge.

Jeff Bridges stars in "The Big Lebowski" as Jeff Lebowski, known universally to friend and foe as "the Dude" ("...or the Dudester, or El Dudearino if you're not into that whole brevity thing"). The film starts with his being confused for another Jeff Lebowski, one who is rich and has an irresponsible trophy wife that owes money to just about everybody in town. At the prompting of his buddy Walter (John Goodman), the Dude troops over to the home of Jeffrey Lebowski, to receive compensation for the damage done by the thugs who beat him up under the impression that he was the rich Jeff Lebowski. Through the kidnapping of Bunny Lebowski, the Dude is pulled into a twisting web of conspiracies that involves a pornographer, Lebowskiís affected daughter Maude (Julianne Moore), and a gang of wimpy nihilists ("No, not Nazis...nihilists"). By the end of the film, the Dude is no better off than he was at the beginning, following the sage advice of Walter for the millionth time: "Ah, fuck it, Dude. Let's bowl."

Let me warn you once again: don't let your mind wander during this film. The plot is twisting, and if you get lost, it will take effort to regain your footing. But donít focus too tightly on the plot either, because itís just a mechanism for bringing a wild and vibrant collection of characters into play with one another. What other film plot could bring the avant-garde daughter of a wealthy investor to the trailer park home of an unemployed, drug-addled burnout for his sperm? Only the Coens would dare, and only the Coens can pull it off with such panache.

If "The Big Lebowski" fits into any genre, it's "wacky noir." It's certainly not a parody of noir, because you'd be flummoxed in figuring out exactly what film or style the Coens could be parodying in the surreal comedy of "Lebowski." Still, it's clear that the Coens have cleverly co-opted the pieces of traditional film noir. There's a protagonist who barely remains ahead of a twisting plot, a femme fatale who wants to bed the protagonist to further her own agenda, a fat and manaical villain at the heart of the conspiracy, and even a macguffin for the characters to pursue in vain. They've taken these pieces, thrown them into a blender, diced them to pieces, and then left the mix to sit under Funk & Wagnalls' doorstep in a pickle jar for six weeks. Once the mix had gotten nice an' wacky, they poured the concoction into their script, carefully standing clear of the debris.

Though there is a reckless abandon to the plot and characters in "Lebowski," there is also a tight control of the comedy. None of the jokes in this movie happen by accident; they are carefully wrung one at a time from the insane personalities of the characters. This is also a credit to the performers in this movie, each of whom seems inspired by the Coens to heights of mad perfection that they might never reach again. Bridges is perhaps the biggest surprise. He's a great actor, but NONE of his previous work suggests the kind of manic energy and reserve it would take to pull off his turn as the Dude. The guy slings the movie onto his burnout back and drags it down its winding road to resolution, stopping to howl in protest as it's kicked and beaten by his fellow performers. I know itís early, but if anyone deserves to have their name tattooed onto the bottoms of Academy members as a reminder come next February, it's Jeff Bridges. Also remarkable is John Goodman, whose Walter fuels the Dude's engine into overdrive and occassional collapse; and Julianne Moore, who deadpans sexuality like no other actress could.

In the end, "The Big Lebowski" may display the Coen brothers' true gift as filmmakers more clearly than any other Coen movie: to guide an audience down increasingly mad paths without falter. As wild as the plot twists careen at times, there is never a sense that the movie will collapse under the weight of its own insanity. This absolute confidence, coupled with a supreme command of film language, just might be what makes "Lebowski" so much fun and the Coen brothers such great filmmakers. Or, it could be their creative uses for urine and rugs. Ah, fuck it. Let's bowl.