Brilliant, Seemingly-Simplistic Film

Rating: 9/10 (5 November 2000)

Fargo is a wonderfully unusual, extremely well scripted crime film that crackles with strongly developed, yet very off-beat characters, sporadic violence, splashes of dark comedy, and an outstanding ensemble supporting cast.
When Jerry Lundergaard (the marvelous William Macy) schemes to have his wife kidnapped by criminals Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare so that he can collect the ransom money from his wealthy father-in-law, everything is planned and set to go smoothly. But this, being a Coen brothers film, nothing goes as planned and eventually everything goes downhill. That's when Officer Marge Gunderson (the quirky Frances McDormand) begins her investigation of the "malfesance."
Fargo's greatest attribute is the dead-on, masterful performances of its cast, and not one of them misses their mark. The standout, however, is William Macy, as the none-too-bright husband whose scheme goes terribly awry. Macy perfectly embodies the inept Lundergaard and portrays his frustration wonderfully with such lines as "the heckdy'a mean?" Even after his plans take a turn for the absolute worst, we sympathize with his plight. His scene with his son is such a squirm-inducing one, that for a minute we find him both despicable and we sympathize. Frances McDormand also shines in her Oscar-winning role as Marge Gunderson, the pregnant, determined, quirky, and optimistic detective assigned to unravel this mystery. Buscemi and Stormare are also dead on as the kidnappers : Stormare's dry, mute performance complements the loud, abrasive performance by Buscemi.
The scenery is also appropriately bleak and desolate, with the whiteness and dreariness of snow pervading all, from it's opening shot of a single car materializing out of the white of snowfall. It's interesting to see how the Coens have contrasted the bleakness of the area with the colorfulness of it's inhabitants: all seem to be perky, polite, and ever-so-nice.
The script is also well-written, with some very original, inventive scenes, such as Macy's car sale to an irate customer, an abrupt car chase in the stinging coldness of Brainerd, and a very colorful conversation with a local regarding some suspicious "lookin fellas." The dialogue is also quite funny at points, and effectively terse at others.
Fargo is a film that is a crime film that is engaging without any of the normal elements found in the genre: it has no long, dangerous car chases, no grandiose shootouts, and of course, it has no cliched, stale villains or heroes. It's power lies in its uniqueness, both in its complex story and its down-to-earth, credible, engaging characters, and of course the concrete, dazzling performances turned it by the entire cast. Fargo is a winner, and is it destined to be a classic? In the words of McDormand, "Oh, ya."
9 out of 10