even better than you've heard

Rating: 9/10 (26 March 2004)

"Fargo" seems to be drawing flak lately; I think it's part of an anti-Coen backlash. The brothers have been serving up heavy doses of irony and dark humor for years, and some viewers are getting tired of them. Still, that's no reason to retroactively criticize their masterpiece, is it? Yes, the film has a very queer sense of humor, but if things like the Minnesota accent drive you nuts, you're not getting the joke (BTW, this doesn't mean that you're stupid, just that you don't share the Coen sense of humor!).
I usually hate "funny" gore, but I do think that the violence here, though occasionally "amusing," is also quite horrible and repulsive. So, it's not quite like a Tarantino film then, where violence becomes a supercool thing to emulate. What ultimately distinguishes this film from a Tarantino effort - and indeed, from the Coens' other films - is that it is, in the oddest way, sentimental. McDormand's character lends warmth and humanity to a story that is otherwise quite cold and detached. Her presence makes "Fargo" accessible, even if you're not a big fan of black comedy, and her "normalcy" elevates this above even "The Big Lebowski," which is a great movie as well, but also too much of a freak-fest.
Enough apologies - this is one of the best films of the 1990s (surprise surprise, it didn't win Best Picture!). The photography is gorgeous, and the icy landscapes lend so much atmosphere to the proceedings. The script is fast and snappy without seeming artificial, and the acting is across-the-board great; Buscemi's comic role is often overlooked, but in fact he may give my favorite performance. Burwell's score is evocative (what a great, bombastic opening!), and it is of course a wonderful novelty to see locales in a movie that aren't in New York or California. Classic stuff.