We hadnt seen Fargo before this special edition DVD arrived
on our doorstep. We wish we had; its a terribly entertaining movie, a
combination kidnap caper, comedy of errors, satire, suspense thriller, and
blood soaked look at a couple of violent and desperate criminals.
William H. Macy plays Jerry Lundegaard, a used car salesman at his
father in laws GM dealership - but whos in a bind. He needs money
fast; we arent sure exactly why but it looks as if hes been doing
some shenanigans at the dealership - though where the money has gone is
unclear.
He comes up with a scheme to have his wife kidnapped, and have
his wealthy father in law (Harve Presnell) pay the ransom, which hell
split with the kidnappers.
The plan quickly goes awry and ends up turning into a bloody
series of murders and betrayals rather than the rather straightforward caper it
was supposed to be. As murder raises its ugly head, small town police officer
Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand, who won the Oscar for her performance) gets
involved. Shes pregnant, kind of laid back, but sharp as a tack - and she
makes the movie.
Margie at first appears to be nothing more than a stereotyped
small town cop in a case thats over her head. She comes off more as a
housewife than a cop - but dont let that fool you.
As with most of the characters, shes a fount of Midwestern
twang and sensibilities - or at least this is how the movie portrays these
people. Weve never been to the area, but its believable enough and
the liner notes says this is the way people there talk, so well believe
them.
Marge is a smart cookie, but in a gentle way that also fools
people with whom she deals - including Macys character when their paths
cross inevitably.
This flick is chock full of great performances. The always-oily
Steve Buscemi is one of the kidnpappers, and Peter Stormare (who has maybe
twenty lines in his terrifyingly smoldering performance) is the other, and
theyre perfectly cast. Macey is also ideal in his characterization; his
desperate husband whos increasingly out of his depth is so stressed out
and afraid its enough to make you squirm.
Fargos portrayal of the accents and mannerism of the people
could almost be taken as the filmmakers making fun of them, but it actually
comes across more as an homage than a slam. These arent Hollywood people,
and they dont act like Hollywood people - yet theyre every bit as
smart, as decent - or as stupid and bad - as the glitterati. Its actually
a charming and refreshing look at some real people.
Theres some pretty disturbing stuff here, but its
never over the top and its all necessary in order to tell this bizarre
story. The violence, and theres a surprising amount, isnt dwelled
upon; instead its handled matter-of-factly with no fuss.
The special edition DVD is very good. MGM has presented it in both
anamorphic widescreen and Pan&Scan versions, on opposite sides of the same
disc. Picture quality is excellent. Audio is Dolby Digital 5.1 surround and is
also very good indeed.
You get plenty of extras, too, including a running commentary
with director of photography Roger A. Deakins. Theres also a new
documentary Minnesota Nice, an interview with the Coen Brothers and
star McDormand, a behind the scenes photo gallery as well as some other
stuff.
This movie may not appeal to the squeamish. But everyone else
should definitely see it.
Fargo, from MGM Home Video
98 min. anamorphic widescreen
(1.85:1, 16x9 TV compatible)/ Pan&Scan, Dolby Digital 5.1 surround
Starring Frances McDormand, William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi, Harve Prsnell,
Peter Stormare
Produced by Ethan Coen
Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, Directed by Joel Coen
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