"Fargo" is definitely not a film for everybody. This off-beat dark comedy from the Coen brothers ("Blood Simple" and "Raising Arizona") is entertaining and very enjoyable, but only to those who appreciate their somewhat odd style and sense of humor.
Joel Coen directed, his brother Ethan produced, and both collaborated in the writing.
"Fargo" is the true story of a homespun kidnapping gone awry. Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy) is a weasely Minneapolis car salesman in such dire need of cash that he hatches a plot to have his own wife abducted.
Lundegaard makes a deal for his innocent wife to be kidnapped by two incompetent and greasy thugs portrayed excellently by Peter Stormare and independent film cool-guy Steve Buscemi.
He plans for his extremely well-to-do father-in-law to supply the ransom. In exchange for their services, the kidnappers get a share of the money as well as a new Oldsmobile.
But soon things start going wrong and a body count begins to amount. A triple homicide in one small town leads to an investigation by the local police chief.
Chief Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand) is a very competent, compassionate policewoman who also happens to be very pregnant. Before long, she is hot on the kidnappers' trail.
She methodically waddles her way from crime scene to crime scene and different witnesses, investigating the many clues left behind by the bumbling crooks.
All of the film's performances are very good. The characters contain a certain ordinariness and therefore, a realness to them.
They capture the Minnesota accent perfectly -- their speech is one of the funniest aspects of the film. Their vocabularies are laced with priceless phrases such as "oh jeez" and "darn tutin,' " and every other word out of their mouths seems to be "yah."
Macy portrays the pathetic Lundegaard as not merely a low-life car salesman, but rather as a more rounded individual. The audience feels how desperate he is, and one cannot help but pity him, especially in his initial attempts to get a loan from his father-in-law.
Buscemi is, as always, excellent in the role of the inept and incessantly talking crook who seems like he must have had at least a dozen cups of coffee too many.
Stormare also does well as Buscemi's silent and surprisingly well-composed yet brutal partner. McDormand's Gunderson is sharp and thoughtful and the only truly likable character in the film -- she is also the only person in the film who is at all competent.
Perhaps the most prominent character in the film is not a person at all, but the cold, frozen, Hanover-like Minnesota surroundings where the Coen brothers grew up and the film takes place.
The film constantly pokes fun at this area of funny accents and Scandinavian last names. The film's world is portrayed as dreary and painfully ordinary.
The characters are trapped in a frozen hell of boredom in which the only thing there is to do is eat or watch television. The wide shots of the vast-reaching, snow-covered earth reminds the audience of how isolated the characters are.
The environment and its boredom has invaded the character's minds and lives -- nothing seems to affect these people. Even when brutal murders start occurring, their only response is an "oh jeez" or a "too bad."
Gunderson does not go unaffected by the surroundings. After examining the triple homicide crime scene, her first question is whether the bait shop is open so she can buy worms for her husband.
"Fargo" does move slowly at times and can be a little bloody. The alternating sequences of ordinary Minnesota life and brutal killing can at times leave one wondering if they missed something.
Again, the Coens' style is distinctive, though some may think this dark comedy is just a little bit too strange. Overall, the witty script and strong performances make the film very entertaining.
