A Movie About Family and a Study in the Evils of the Human Kind

Rating: 9/10 (9 February 2006)

Jerry has it all. A great family that he does not appreciate or value in the least. He is willing to sacrifice all of that for money.
His primary motivation for marrying his wife is her father's money. And when that is not enough for him he risks her life to get more.
Frances McDormand's character is like good looking into evil and self-centeredness. Just her pregnancy alone is symbolic of life in the face of death and evil. Also, the loving relationship she so values with her caring husband is a stark contrast to Jerry's values and motivations. She is police officer, concerned with justice and good. He is, of all things, a car salesman. His motivation in life is to make a sale, even if it means lying and betraying the trust of his customers.
The scene with the Chinese friend of Marge furthers the family values theme. Here is a guy with no family. He is so desperate for it, he is willing to lie about his so called "wife" having cancer to gain sympathy from Marge. He stalks women and goes about finding love all wrong. He doesn't get it. Love cannot be won by manipulation and force.
The men who Jerry hires to kidnap his wife are sociopaths. And the film makes the statement that even a guy like Jerry, who may have never resorted to this kind of behavior, can fall prey to his own selfish wants. He has dipped into this underworld and then realizes later he made a big mistake.
I gave it 9 stars out of 10 due to one very annoying aspect. The product placement in the film is over the top. I thought it cheapened an otherwise great film. The "It's a Radisson, so it's pretty good," comment was what really got me. Product placement seems to be the trend nowadays, but do the actors have to comment on product too?