Review of Fargo

Fargo (1996)
7/10
A black comedy based on facts where petty crime leads to terrible events
26 February 2023
Coen film with ace performances , thrills , emotion , humor with tongue-in-cheek and some very off-killer dialogue . A riveting mixture of giggles and gore , not without its dull patches . Stars Jerry Lundegard (William H. Macy) , he is in an unknown financial jam , desperate for money and wants his father-in-law's money to solve it . His scheme to get the money involves hiring nasty criminals , Carl Showalter (Steve Buscemi) and Gaer Grimsrud (Peter Stormare) , to kidnap his own wife for a million dollar ransom , leading them to believe it's only a small proportion of that sum , and then splitting the ransom with the delinquents . However, this quickly falls apart when his father-in-law , Wade Gustafson (Harve Presnell) , meddles into the twisted happenings insisting on delivering himself and after three killings and the persistent work of chirpy but efficient police chief, the six-months pregnant Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormad) who's very much more cunning than her staff and is soon on the trail of the truth . A homespun murder story !. Small town !. Big crime !. Dead cold !. A lot can happen in the middle of nowhere !. An ordinary place, an extraordinary thriller !.

A riveting mixture of black comedy , drama , violence , gore , giggles , and some very outlandish as well as excessive dialog , not without its dull patches . While this may seem like plot-a-plenty , it's mainly a showcase for the Cohen brothers' unique texturing of style and quirky but deep roles . Includes the Cohen's pithy dialogue , it looks and sounds marvellous . The film may not have the enigmatic elegance or emotional resonance of Barton Fink or Blood Simple but it is still a prime example of the Cohen's effortless brand of stylistic and storytelling brilliance . Starred by some rare characters suffering several Coanesque adventures ; what the protagonists encounter along the way are a number of surprising situations and off-the-wall characters that , when all is said and done , seem like just that individual incidents that never really add up to a whole plot . Stars the Oscarized Frances MacDormand giving a very likable acting as the headstrong officer of the law , while Steve Buscemi , Peter Stormare are two botcher evil-tempered , short-fused gunmen and William H. Macy as the desperate husband. Followed by Fargo TV series (2014) , it is one of the best TV surprises of the last years by co-opting the tone of the Coen Brothers' classic film, but still adding a unique stamp on the material .

Thanks to Roger Deakin's gleaming camerawork the film expand a colorful and luminous cinematography. As well as sensitive and agreeable musical score by Carter Burwell , Coen's regular . This fun and entertainining motion picture was well written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen . They have shared these duties on all of their films, but Joel has always been listed as director and Ethan as producer . The first Coen brothers film where both he and brother Ethan Coen are given directing and producing credits was Ladykillers (2004). Both of whom are part of the prestigious group of individuals to have won Oscars for writing , directing and producing in the same year, for the film No Country for Old Men (2007). Their career is splendid from first film : Blood simple (1984) to Arizona Baby (1987), Miller's crossing (1990) , Oh Brother ! (2000) ,Barton Fink (1991), the great Lebowski (1998), The Man Who Wasn't There (2001) , Intolerable Cruelty (2003) , Burn After Reading (2008) , A Serious Man (2009) , True grit (2010) ,among others . Rating : 7/10. Well worth watching , better than average. The flick will appeal to Frances McDormand fans and Joel/Ethan Coen followers.
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