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. And now he's hired a bumbling duo to kidnap his wife--a plan that goes horribly awry, leading to homicide.
Enter Marge Gunderson, one of the most fabulous movie cops in film history. The very-pregnant Marge--played marvelously by Frances McDormand in an Oscar-winning and career-defining performance--just goes about her everyday business, eating (in nearly every scene), talking to the people in the community, and examining bloody corpses as if no day is different from the next. A multiple murder in the small town of Brainerd, Minnesota--home of Paul Bunyan, as the sign claims--seems to have little effect on her. Yet she has an innate cop sense--she is very, very good at her job and determined to solve the case in her offhanded manner.
FARGO is yet another offbeat, highly entertaining film from the Coen brothers (BARTON FINK, BLOOD SIMPLE). The film is nearly colorless; instead, director of photography Roger Deakins washes the screen in the blinding white of the snow, occasionally breaking for the drab grays and browns of police uniforms and winter jackets. Carter Burwell's score further enhances the slow, steady pace of this oddly funny and compelling film. The Coens have once again populated their film with a slew of bizarre characters, with outstanding performances delivered by all, particularly the edgy William H. Macy, the quietly luminous McDormand, the nearly psychotic Steve Buscemi, and the oh-so-cold Peter Stormare.
2.
A Lot Can Happen In The Middle Of Nowhere.
Nominated for seven Oscars, including Best Picture, and winner of two (Actress and Original Screenplay), this "darkly amusing" (Lost Angeles Times) thriller combines a "first-rate cast" (Variety), "a dazzling mix of mirth and malice" (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone) and an unusual kidnapping plot that unravels the Midwest like never before.
Jerry (William H. Macy), a small Minnesota town car salesman, is bursting at the seams with debt…but he's got a plan. He's gonna hire two thugs (Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare) to kidnap his wife in a scheme to collect a hefty ransom from his wealthy father-in-law. It's gonna be a snap and nobody's gonna get hurt…until people start dying. Enter Police Chief Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand), a coffee-drinking, parka-wearing -- and extremely pregnant -- investigator who'll stop at nothing to get her man. And if you think her small-time investigative skills will give the crooks a run for their ransom…you betcha!
3.
The sixth collaboration of filmmakers Joel and Ethan Cohen, Fargo brings the Coen Brothers' unique sensibility to the frozen Minnesota winter, capturing the pathos of a kidnapping scheme gone wildly wrong. Its literate script, nuanced performances and crisp direction have received the industry's highest honors, including nominations for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.
4.
The Coen brothers' black comedy revolves around a crime orchestrated by a desperate, debt-ridden man--and its unexpected results. In dire need of money, Jerry Lundegaard comes up with a plan: Hire two thugs to kidnap his wife, Jean; make Jean's rich father shell out the ransom; and then use the money to pay off both the kidnappers and his creditors. But what appears to be the perfect crime goes seriously awry when the goons murder three people after abducting Jean. As a result, they soon have an intelligent--and very pregnant--police chief named Marge Gunderson investigating the clues they've carelessly left behind. The criminals must now collect the ransom before Marge puts all the pieces together...but that turns out to be a lot harder than they thought.
5.
Leave it to the wildly inventive Coen brothers to concoct a fiendishly clever kidnap caper with Fargo that's simultaneously a comedy of errors, a Midwestern satire, a taut suspense thriller and a violent tale of criminal misfortune. It all begins when a hapless car salesman (played to perfection by William H. Macy) ineptly orchestrates the kidnapping of his own wife. The plan goes horribly awry in the hands of bumbling bad guys Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare (one of them being described by a local girl as "kinda funny lookin'" and "not circumcised"), and the pregnant sheriff of Brainerd, Minnesota, (played exquisitely by Frances McDormand in an Oscar-winning role) is suddenly faced with a case of multiple murders. Her investigation is laced with offbeat observations about life in the rural hinterland of Minnesota and North Dakota, and Fargo embraces its local yokels with affectionate humour. At times shocking and hilarious, this is utterly unique and distinctly American, bearing the unmistakable stamp of its inspired creators. --Jeff Shannon
On the DVD:Fargo, Special Edition presents the movie in anamorphic widescreen (16:9) with Dolby 5.1 available in a choice of English, French or Spanish. Extras include a rare 20-minute interview with the Coens and Frances McDormand, dating from the time of the movie's release, and the 27-minute retrospective documentary, "Minnesota Nice", which has more interviews with the principal cast and crew. There's a "Coen Brothers' Family Tree" listing actors who have collaborated with the duo, and an on-screen trivia track which, among other nuggets, provides a history of pancakes after Peter Stormare's character famously demands "Where is pancakes house?". Cinematographer Roger Deakins provides an intermittent commentary mostly concerned with technical issues. The text of an American Cinematographer article about Deakins and the Coens, trailers and a behind-the-scenes photo gallery complete the package. --Mark Walker
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