Fargo (1996)

So a little over a week ago, my family decided to take a night of us just watching dark comedies. One was In Bruges and the third one I didn't watch because I got tired, but the first one was a movie I've heard of but have never seen until then. So fellow film buffs rejoice, this is finally my take on Joel & Ethan Coen's Fargo.

Plot: In 1987, Minneapolis car salesman Jerry Lundegaard who is desperate for money hires a couple of guys named Carl and Gaear to kidnap his wife and hold her ransom for $80,000 to his wealthy father-in-law and boss, Wade. So Carl and Gaear succed in kidnapping Jerry's wife, but along the way to their hideout, they are pulled over and are forced to kill the cop that stopped them and two teenagers that just happened to be driving by. This brings to the attention of a 7 month pregnant local police chief named Marge to investigate the murders and find the culprits.

So did I find this movie to be as great as it has been claimed? To quote Marge, "Oh yeah, you betcha!" This film knows that it's a dark comedy and it plays it off very well. It's full of blood and murder and has some sad moments, but it also has some twisted yet quirky comedy with a story that -when you think about Jerry's situation - is both tragic and yet can be seen as a little funny. And a lot of it comes from its cast that all give great performances. I mean you have Steve Buscemi who pretty much speaks for himself and William H. Macy who also has some memorable moments, but by far, the best performance bar none is Frances McDormand as Marge. She is the one that really makes this movie. I was finding this movie to be all well and good with everything else, but from the moment Marge's out there just doing her job and talking to her fellow officers, that's when this started to be a great movie. Just the way she talks and interacts with all of the other characters just makes it so delightful whenever she's on screen. Whether she's on the job or doing something else, she's just taking everything in a optimistic chipper attitude that you can't help but just like instantly. It's also very likable how smart she is, I mean she's a local cop who is 7 months pregnant and yet for the most part is just figuring things out with ease. And thinking in hindsight, I agree with Doug Walker when he talked about this character in his top 10 favorite characters when he talks about how she takes pleasure in the simple things in life and how she defends what is right to the point where she eventually has to explain that what the other characters are doing is wrong. McDormand won best actress for this performance and Marge is ranked # 33 in AFI's list of top heroes. And after seeing this film, I can easily say that it doesn't surprise me in the slightest.

And that's my review for Fargo. It's a great film that delivers with its violence and dark comedy with a great cast which includes a tremendous performance from Frances McDormand as Marge. If you haven't seen this movie yet, I definitely say check it out. You won't be disappointed.  

Rating: 100%