|
| Fargo
Year: 1996
Classification: Drama
Directed:
- Joel Coen
Actors/Actresses:
- Frances Mcdormand
- William H Macy
- Steve Buscemi
- Ethan Coen
"Fargo" is a new type of thriller
"Fargo" opens with the following statement: THIS IS A TRUE STORY The events depicted in this film took place in Minnesota in 1987. At the request of the survivors, the names have been changed. Out of respect for the dead, the rest has been told exactly as it occurred. This is not absolutely true. The use of this statement is to give the viewer a stronger feeling towards all of the films events. "Fargo" shows small town life during the frigid winters of Minnesota and North Dakota. It constantly changes from comedy to suspense to satire. The Coen brothers grew up in St. Louis Park Minneapolis and this film is in memory of the people that they knew while growing up there. Jerry Lundegaard(Wiliam H. Macy in an oscar nominated role) is in desperate need of money so he hires two lowlifes named Showalter and Grimsrud (Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare) to kidnap his wife(Kristin Rudrud) in order for him to get the ransom money from his wife's rich father(Harve Presnell). From there all of Jerry's original plan goes awry and he becomes continually nervous. After the kidnapping, Showalter has to kill a few people in order to get away. The next morning the bodies are found and the case will be investigated by Marge Gunderson(Frances McDormand), Brainerd's pregnant police chief. Two eyewitnesses place the killers in a tan Ciera and she traces that to Lundegaard's used car lot. She speaks to Jerry but does not really believe what he says. Some of the best scenes are at Jerry's car lot, where he tries to cheat customers out of money for rust-proofing. Macy shines in one of the finest roles. Jerry always thinks that he will be able to pull the scam off but his mind is so cramed with his guilt and nervousness that he can't even think straight. Equally great is Frances McDormand who is a Coen Brothers regular. "Fargo" is without a doubt one of the Coen Brothers' best films, standing on a pedestal next to "Blood Simple" and "Barton Fink". Is this film worth a second viewing? You Betcha!
Ten. Ten stars. Oh. My. God.
The Coen brothers rock. Frances McDormand rocks, like big time. Here we are in Fargo, North Dakota where winter means Winter, and a doofus car salesman's scheme to get money by kidnapping his own wife goes wildly and horribly off the mark, resulting in one, two, three...four? Five? I forget. LOTS of murders in a comedy of errors that are based on a true story. How can this much bloodshed be drop dead (ahem) funny? Easy. Give the story to Joel and Ethan and turn them loose. It's classic Keystone Kop stuff raised to cinema art.BR>And McDormand. Omigod. Talk about deserving the Oscar she got for the role! After this movie, viewers will forever think of her as Marge, the pregnant small-town sheriff who is suddenly but oh, so laconically, finds herself faced not only with morning sickness, indigestion, and a brainless deputy, but also with a case of multiple murders. She is appropriately deadpan with a Midwestern accent, an offbeat view of life - and will always be remembered for the scene in which she points to the badge on her hat to announce her official title, since the guy she's come to arrest can't hear her above the roar of the now-iconic wood chipper.BR>See. This. Movie.BR>Now.
"..that was your accomplice there in the woodchipper."
Fargo fits into a tiny crack between popcorn flick and truly interesting, and not just because it's based on a true story. It feels the right amount of homely and immersing to be just another irrelevent kidnapping "drama", all the while keeping its simplistic "movie feel".
The story is told from mutliple perspectives of the main characters. A less-than-successful car salesman Jerry Lundegaard [Macy] agrees to pay two crooks, Carl Showalter [Buscemi] and Gaear Grimsrud [Stormare] to kidnap his wife Jean [Rudrüd]. But along the way, complications happen and the body count rises as Lundegaard and his two hired crooks try, unsuccesfully, to follow through on their plan. Through this, we meet the primary character, or the one whose perspective we look through most--Marge Gunderson [MacDormand], a 7-months-pregnant police officer who takes it upon herself to figure out the situation.
Fargo has more of a small town murder investigation plot than a dramatic something-isn't-quite-right kidnapping focus, which does nothing to worsen the quality of the overall storyline and how it plays out, but there are points where you can spot editing errors and total blandness, but the movie itself is shorter than you would expect and manages to work in such an innovative take on the genre to the frame. The acting is done well and is completely convincing, and the good direction goes hand-in-hand with it. As mentioned, there are spots were the script could be better done, but so much whereas it takes away from the feel of the movie.
Buy Fargo at Amazon.com
Buy posters at Allposters.com
Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone! |
| |
