miscategorized but good

Rating: Null/10 (26 May 2003)

This movie is often miscategorized in video rental stores as "mystery" or
"suspense." It's really neither, so many people I talk to who didn't like the movie have that attitude because they expected more intrigue and complexity from it. There's not much to this movie, but it's still good.
William H. Macy's character makes the viewer wince again and again at his
poor judgement and its consequences. He's a really lamentable figure, and
probably tied for best character in the film with that of Frances McDormand, who uses sensibility and "Minnesota nice" to bring justice to the guilty.
Of course, the whole Scandinavian accent thing is really overdone in this film, but to good effect. It lends a level of absurdity to every character who uses those mannerisms...a level of absurdity that's present in most real people, even though they try to mask it.