A modern classic!

Rating: 9/10 (23 February 2005)

Fargo is one of those films that, if it is on, I have to sit down and watch. No matter how many times I have seen it, this film still enthralls me. A very bleak yet funny account of a botched kidnapping, in which a used car salesman, Jerry Lundegaard (William H Macy) hires two criminals to kidnap his wife, in order to fleece his rich father in law. However as the plan becomes reality, all that can go wrong does, and a series of tragic events unfold, which spells doom for Lundegaard and sets off a slew of collateral damage, which tears apart a tiny north mid-western town.
The small everyday nuances that the Coen brothers seem to relish exploiting in this film, and the innocence of these good hearted small town folk is what gives this film it much needed sense of reality. A sense of reality which a film like this needs in order to stand out and to have any impact whatsoever, and this film has tons of impact. Frances McDormand is excellent as Marge Gunderson, the quirky yet intelligent Brainerd police officer that is investigating several murders near the town of Brainerd. Unbeknownst to Marge her investigation will lead her into Lundegaard's web of kidnapping, murder, and betrayal. And what she discovers will test her emotional and moral strength. Near the end of the film, you can see the emotion and the pain in her face as she tries to comprehend what she has just witnessed and as she realizes what incredible evil men are capable of. What is worse is that it was all for a little money. As Marge says in the film "There's more to life than a little money, ya know. Don'tcha know that?"
Most of the laughs come from the way the people talk and interact with one another, which if you are not from the mid-west or northern great lakes area can be pretty amusing at first. But after the shock of the accents wear off, Steve Buscemi's "funny looking, little guy" character as the bumbling foul mouth thug is funny until it becomes just mean spirited and then tragic. Peter Stormare plays a stoic and frighteningly calm murderer and sidekick to Steve Buscemi's character.
The film is great and overall very entertaining, but one of the things That I love watching every time I see this film, is watching William H Macy's character place the noose around his neck and watch it slowly tighten, until he has no more room to maneuver and is suffocated (figuratively speaking) by the lies he tells and then the lies he tells in order to cover up his original lies. Overall a fascinating film with an intelligent script and great performances.