Fargo
Sometimes the worst thing that can happen to a very, very good movie is an overabundance of praise and hype that can actually come from even the most respectable quarters of film analysis and criticism, thus building up an idea of quality for a film that in a first time viewerâs mind is absolutely impossible for it to live up to no matter how enjoyable it might be which results in it inevitably being labeled as âoverratedâ no matter how actually good it might turn out. That was exactly the case with this 1996 release from the quirky minds of The Brothers Coen, and while Joel and Ethan certainly gleaned some fine performances from their cast combined with an offbeat, original story, the nonstop accolades that kept pouring in ranging from being hailed as an âinstant classicâ to the slew of awards including a (deserved) Oscar win for Best Actress, to most unbelievably of all, not two years removed from its release being placed on The American Film Instituteâs Top 100 films OF ALL TIME. With the irony in being that the popular opinion was The Coens easily topped this two years later with The Big Lebowski (still their best effort), nowadays this can be looked at more as being a top of the line black comedy with some very funny bits, evocative moments, and a lot of qualities to the style and telling of its story that equate it to almost being a modern day fable (with the moral of the story being beautifully spelled out at the end). With the setting taking place in and around the Twin Cities / North Dakota area, what that means is that we get to see a lot of character moments here defined mostly by the uniqueness of the peopleâs accents and cadences that we get to hear, almost to the point of distraction from the story itself (which is something that many have complained about), but there is also the abstract satire on hand stemming from the attitude that people have referred to as being called âMidwest Niceâ, which either can be explained as being the strength of these peopleâs beliefs, convictions and and values, or maybe just by the extreme naivete that these people seem to have that everyone whom they meet are just as nice and trustworthy people as they are. What makes things really interesting are those types who have turned this friendly attitude into a literal 24 hour façade all while still being the types who are actually shifty, dishonest and are willing to lie, cheat and steal in order to get what they want out of life. Such is the case with William H. Macyâs Jerry Lundegaard, a sales manager at a car dealership who has got his whole amicable, congenial act down so cold that he obviously shows great discipline in utterly refusing to ever use any cuss words at any time nor does he ever seem to lose his temper with people especially his imposing father in law (Harve Presnell, a longtime veteran character actor with maybe his best role ever here) who always seems to treat him with nothing less than cold, total contempt. It turns out that the old man is justified in his opinion with it being that Macy really IS a complete loser who doesnât know how to properly handle money issues and is even sloppily trying to pull off an act of fraud at his own dealership involving invoices. Worse, he has become so desperate for money that he (through an ex con mechanic at the dealership) has hooked up with two lowlife criminals (Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare) who even themselves are in utter shock and disbelief that this spineless excuse for a man canât just simply ask his father in law (or his wife) to just give him the money that he needs for whatever he needs it for. Nonetheless, they agree to do the job which supposedly consists of just kidnapping his wife for a couple of days, wrangling some ransom money out of the father in law, and then returning her home safe and unharmed while splitting the money with Macy. Unfortunately, when a seemingly decent man sets up a plan like this with people such as these (whom he would never allow himself to associate with in his actual life), he needs to take into account the possibility that he is indeed dealing with a couple of murderous animals (especially Stormare), and within hours of the kidnapping, no less than three people (including a cop) wind up dead, all while the duo also prove to be a couple of sadists as well when they get to their remote winter hideout and then allow the blinded, binded wife (never portrayed as being anything less than a decent woman) to roam free while she runs into trees and trips and falls all over the place as they just stand there and laugh at her panic stricken behavior like a couple of sick assholes. Meanwhile, the murders they have committed are now being investigated by local police chief Marge Gunderson, played by Frances McDormand in her Oscar winning turn, and to say that itâs one of the most winsome and charming lead female roles in recent cinema history is certainly an understatement. Playing the part without so much as even an hint of irony or pretentiousness, McDormand (who can come off as being both attractive or unattractive, given the nature of the role) gives her very pregnant top cop an alluring combination of natural sweetness, impressively understated detective skills, and if need be, the ability to question a suspect aggressively while adding just a little bit of honey on top, all while having a (very) unassuming stay at home husband who just appears to be so sedate in his own personality that sometimes it almost seems like heâs not even there, along with a cadre of fellow cops who seem to almost have an adoration for her and the dogged determination that she has in pursuing the criminals in order to bring them to justice. The whole film does get bogged down in a totally unnecessary sidestory involving McDormand reconnecting with an old high school classmate, an Asian guy whom it turns out might very well be an unstable, potentially dangerous stalker who painfully pours his heart out to her over lunch, but overall it all just comes off as being a cheap, superfluous way to develop her character even more and give her more screentime. In the other roles, Macy gets off some near brilliant bits as Lundegaard, as he does everything he can to keep his always polite and personable veneer from shattering, making it no surprise that his performance here is held in some circles as being in even higher regard than McDormandâs; Buscemi likewise rattles off some hilarious scenes as the kidnapper who is always being referred to as a âfunny looking little guyâ, as his own exasperation grows throughout the whole movie practically to the point that he literally burns himself out; Presnell as the father in law gives off the perfect aura of an old, hardass, take no prisoners type, the kind of guy who delights in telling his son in law that while his daughter and grandson will never have to worry or want for anything, HE on the other hand is a different story (obviously seeming to already know that Macy marrying his daughter / coming under his thumb was just him making a cheap attempt to get at HIS money); John Carroll Lynch as McDormandâs almost impossibly passive beta male husband occupies his time with doing paintings and going ice fishing while his pants wearing wife conducts her more important police investigations; and then there is Stormare, cold hearted and dead eyed as the second kidnapper, and unlike Buscemi eliciting absolutely no sympathy or empathy from the viewer whatsoever and not only coming across as a vicious psychopath, but also speaking so rarely in such a thick and undecipherable foreign accent (and thus talking differently than everyone else in the film) thatâs it no surprise that his character comes across as easily being the most evil in the entire film. The smatterings of truly gruesome graphic violence (mostly at the beginning and the end of the movie) are like a welcome wake up call to the viewer that The Coens arenât just goofing around here, along with the usual weird and different dialogue (and situations) that these two brothers are known for, and the final words of wisdom from McDormand to one of the suspects (which probably sealed the deal for her Oscar win), gently chiding him for the error of his ways as if she were almost his concerned mother, ultimately comes off as being just as heartfelt and profound as even the filmâs staunchest supporters have always proclaimed the whole movie to be, which either way you look at it is just a very good, very watchable piece about a kindly person who has had her almost naĂŻve worldview shattered by all of the events that she sees but yet she still manages to retain her own sense of humanity and dignityâŚ
9/10