The Coen Brothers' Masterpiece

Rating: 9/10 (16 April 2005)

I'll never think of Minnesota the same again after seeing 'Fargo'. 'Fargo' is based on the fascinating true story about a loser car salesman (William H. Macy) and his ill-fated attempt to strike rich by paying two thugs (Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare) to kidnap his wife, so his father-in-law (Harve Pushnell) who's one of the richest men in the small town of Brainerd, Minnesota would pay off an $80,000 ransom. The car salesman would then split the money 50/50 with the kidnappers after getting his wife back. This all went terribly wrong, and a pregnant police officer (Frances McDormand - in her Academy Award winning role) started to put together the pieces of the puzzle. 'Fargo' is the film that tells this story, and the Coen Brothers (Blood Simple, Miller's Crossing, Raising Arizona) do an incredible job telling it.
'Fargo' is the perfect blend of suspense, drama and dark comedy, and will have you on the edge of your seat in suspense one moment, and the other moment in hysteria. The acting is terrific, especially Frances McDormand who received her well deserved Oscar as the kind, funny and perceptive police detective solving the three homicides that are committed by the two kidnapping thugs during the course of the kidnapping. William H. Macy is perfectly cast in his very best screen performance to date as the nervous and oafish weasel car salesman, that should have won him the Oscar back in 1996. Steve Buscemi is amazing as the violent, twisted and scrawny kidnapper with a scary temper. His performance should have gotten him an Oscar nomination, no buts about it. Buscemi also provides us with one of his best performances in 'Fargo'. Peter Stormare does a decent job as the stone-cold villain partner of Buscemi, and The Drew Carey Show's John Carroll Lynch is sincere and funny during the very limited screen time he has. Harve Pushnell also provides great work as always, as the rich and selfish father-in-law to Macy's character. The directing and writing are most likely the two best qualities of the film and should have gotten The Coen Brothers double Oscars (instead of just one for Best Screenplay). Roger Deakins gives us amazing cinematography as always, and 'Fargo' has a powerful musical score.
If you haven't seen 'Fargo' already, you should definitely rent it, and if you have seen it and don't own it, buy it on DVD now! The special edition DVD includes a documentary about the true incident entitled 'Minnesota Nice', interviews with the Coen Brothers and Frances McDormand, audio commentary by the film's cinematographer Roger Deakins, a trivia track, a behind-the-scenes photo gallery, movie trailers of the film, and more. 'Fargo' is an excellent motion picture, but not for everybody. If you're offended by graphic violence and don't find any humor in it, chances are you will not take a liking to 'Fargo'. So, if you are a member of any anti-movie violence organization or anything like that steer clear of 'Fargo'. Grade: A-
MADE MY TOP 300 LIST AT #48