"Fargo" is technically a comedy, but is darker and has more dramatic elements than most other Coen brothers projects. As usual, Joel Coen is the director, Ethan Coen is the producer, and both team up for the screenplay. The biggest surprise is the violence (one scene has body parts being placed into a grinder, although fortunately this is not shown directly). The second surprise is that John Goodman never shows up, as he seems to be in all the other Coen projects. Oh well, he's missed, but its still a very good movie.
Never mind the film's title. The story is set in Minnesota, not North Dakota. It's winter, the frozen tundra is covered with a thick icy sheet, and it looks darn cold, as the locals might say. The Coen brothers hail from the Land of 10,000 billion Mosquitos, and take great pleasure in milking the Minnesota small town culture for laughs. The Norwegian accents (Ja has replaced yes) and naive politeness (nobody ever stops smiling, and nobody curses) are parodied throughout.
But while Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy) is a local, and looks and sounds like one, that doesn't prevent him from a plotting the kidnapping of his own wife (Kristin Rudrud). You see, his scorning father-in-law Wade (Harve Presnell) is wealthy, but won't lend any money to Jerry. So Jerry hires these two incompetent criminals, talkative Carl (Steve Buscemi) and taciturn Gaear (Peter Stormare) to do the kidnapping. The million dollar ransom is to be paid by Wade, with Jerry keeping most of the loot.
But the crime goes horribly wrong, and there are some murders. Enter straightforward Marge (Frances McDormand), a pleasant and pregnant woman who is also the local sheriff. Although her investigation is sidetracked by an encounter with a disturbed former classmate (Mike Yanigita), it seems certain that the desperate, pathetic schemes of Jerry will fall through.
"Raising Arizona" is still my favorite Coen brothers film, weirder but more dynamic than "Fargo". "Fargo" is quirky as well, with the gentle humor at the expense of Swedish Americans mixing oddly with the brutal, cold-blooded murders committed by the kidnappers. The morality and good spirits of the locals is contrasted against the greedy and unconscionable behavior of the criminals. We may laugh at the mundane marriage between Marge and her bland husband (John Carroll Lynch), but while their lives seem undramatic if not empty, they are fulfilled by their loving relationships. In comparison, the criminals are unable to trust anyone, even their own blundering selves. By the way, if you ever happen to be in Minnesota, and see an ice scraper upright next to a lonesome fence...
Perhaps because of its more dramatic content, "Fargo" is easily the most critically successful of the Coen films. McDormand actually won an Oscar for Best Actress, something no one could have expected from her role, while the Coen brothers landed the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Other Academy Award nominations included Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Macy), Best Cinematography (Roger Deakins), and Best Film Editing (Roderick Jaynes). (77/100)
Poor Jerry Lundegaard. He's deep in debt. His wealthy father-in-law has no respect for him. He cheats customers at the car dealership where he works. ...More at Family Video
Nominated for seven Oscars, including Best Picture, and winner of two (Actress and Original Screenplay), this darkly amusing (Lost Angeles Times) thri...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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