"You're darn tootin'!"

Rating: 9/10 (30 June 2014)

This is arguably the first film that really put the Coen brothers on the map and for good reason. Everything about Fargo is unique and original, from the beautiful setting to the incredible dialogue mixing together humour, drama and beauty so seamlessly the film is nothing short of a masterpiece.
Fargo's story revolves around how several characters lives begin to collide with one another after a simple kidnapping scheme begins to go wrong and body counts begin to rise. But where the film really succeeds is because of the interesting range of characters ranging from McDormand's kind speaking Marge to Buscemi's rude and talkative Carl. All the leads of the film have original and interesting personalities that make them so interesting to watch.
Part of the brilliance of this and every Coens Brothers film is that even the small characters feel very well developed. Someone like Norm (McDormand's husband) probably has somewhere around 5 minutes screen time, but in that short time it gives him a unique personality and demonstrates the close bond between him and Marge.
It feels that everyone in the film matters or has some role to play, with every character having some impact on the chain of events. A single conversation can change a character's entire outlook of a situation which the Coens make believable through the great writing where we can see why they would be changed by the confrontation.
On top of this the film has many moments of both natural and memorable dialogue. Some of it even packs great meaning such as "There's more to life than a little money, you know. Don'tcha know that? And here ya are, and it's a beautiful day." Lines like this demonstrate the Coen brothers skill in creating great meaning in their work whilst maintaining realism within the dialogue.
Beyond this the film contains many beautiful and meaningful shots mixing a feeling of suspense into the endless roads and blank landscapes that fill the screen. Even the simplest shots of a car driving down the road feel all the more impressive as we see the sight of the headlights shine through the falling slow.
The Coens constantly do what all filmmakers should, which is to take risks and try different things. Everything from the setting to the characters personalities is unique within the film. From start to end Fargo is a joy to watch and a true cinematic classic.