The "other" characters in a Coen Brothers movie.

Rating: 10/10 (28 February 2005)

Rather than expound on the excellent review of Robert Maxwell (above) I'll just say I like the way he points out the finer qualities of a Joel and Ethan Coen movie. To a "t" as a matter of fact.
I always like to think of Coen brothers movies this way though, and the brothers are consistent in this, they always have two extra characters in their film. One is the scenery or the look of the film. The other is the dialog; specifically accents or dialects.
This was true of their first, Blood Simple, with stark flat Texas scenery and the dialog heavily laced with Texas twang/drawl and their last (as of this writing) Intolerable Cruelty equally laced with the beautiful scenery of Southern California and the rapid fire language of attorneys. I especially enjoyed "Puffy" von Espy's testimony.
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I suppose what I admire most about this particular film is that they not only pull off the desolation of the upper Midwest in deep winter they also manage to capture the simple (yes even seemingly stupid) yet forthright people that inhabit that region of the country. And yes though the two criminals are the most colorful and interesting of the characters one has to admire the police chief (played by Frances McDormand) who is not only female but eight months pregnant. She commands a great deal of consideration and respect from her men who remain pleasant, caring, and totally dedicated to her and the performance of their jobs. Even her husband, whose claim to fame is being selected for his mallard painting which is to be printed on the three cent stamp, seems to understand just how truly exceptional his wife is, and in turn, becomes truly exceptional himself.
Is Marge dainty and fragile in her condition? Not at all, yet she is one hundred percent female just the same.
William H. Macy performs beautifully as the John Q. Milquetoast husband who just can't seem to do anything right.
Harve Presnell is convincing as Jean Lundegaard's business-man father.
Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare are credible as two bumbling, rather stupid, and completely deadly criminals.
Only Kristin Rudrüd seems to have an almost non-part (no speaking, but plenty of screaming), but hey, this is her first film. The screams, reactions, and fear were well done.
It's a strange little movie, but interesting and well worth watching for that reason; just like all Coen brother's movies.