Dark, Funny

Rating: 8/10 (29 April 2012)

Watched last night with the hubby. It was a first view for the both of us and I was eager to watch what, I've been told by various folks over the years, is an iconic American film.
This snapshot of midwestern life from times gone by (from accent to clothing to location) bordered on cartoonish at times- some of it felt too exuberant to be plausible. I also did not appreciate that the film opens with text stating that the story is true yet facts show exactly the opposite- the Coen's have given interviews which state that they took parts of true events from a bunch of different cases, wove them together to create this novel narrative, and included that text about the film's veracity because, in their opinion, if the audience believed the film was not fictional it would give them permission to show a perspective that would otherwise not be accepted. Even though I understand the Coen's explanation for lying to the audience, I still don't accept it.
Still, this film was dark and funny and strangely moral in its point-of-view (money isn't everything, family is what really matters, and good triumphs over evil in the end) and I absolutely loved it! This is a must see and, quite possibly, an all-time favorite!