Hell's Fargo

Rating: 10/10 (4 February 2009)

This movie (so far the Coen Bros. best effort) is all about face: Bill Macy's malleable mug, Frances McDormand's expressionless countenance and Steve Buscemi's gunshot gizzard.
But enough about this film's over-the-top action scenes. This is the anti-Dirty Harry cop film. There's no bluff, no bravado in McDormand's High Planes snow-drifter police chief, just the James Webb facts, ma'am.
In perhaps the greatest anti-climatic scene in late 20th century cinema, McDormand' chief discovers the bad guy disposing of his buddy (Steve Buscemi) in a stump grinder. When he tries to flee across the frozen lake, she drops him with one shot (to the right thigh) from her .357 mag service revolver.
This is not a classic shoot-em-up but it is the ultimate put-em-down.