Doesn't age well
Added 1/8/2010
Looking at the movie after 15 years last night, whatever novelty there was is gone. I remember Ebert raving about the unusual dialogue of the movie. There's nothing distantly remarkable about that discourse exempt for the ridiculous accents and the idea that people in Mpls actually speak that way. Sure, Macy and McDormand have quirky characters at times, but there's really little grabbing about the movie. It's notable how brief the plot is and the elements of strong violence the story hangs on. A caricature without point and a drama without heart. Suspense? not really
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An Absolute Hoot
Added 11/20/2009
Gotta admire those salty Midwesterners. Not even a kidnapping plot gone awry with some unforeseen bloodletting will affect their unflappable "okey dokey" optimism. And it's this tongue-in-cheek tribute to Midwestern grit that makes the Coen Brothers' FARGO such a delight--dark humor and supreme quirkiness notwithstanding. This is a fun ride, no matter how bleak the story becomes, don't ya know.
The outstanding cast features two standouts who really make this movie glide like a curling iron on the ice (gotta use that Northern metaphor, ya see). They would be William H. Macy as used car salesman Jerry Lundegaard, and Frances McDormand as Brainerd Police Chief Marge Gunderson. Both actors are topnotch as happy-go-lucky Minnesotans who maintain their demeanor no matter what the external circumstances, which become considerable. Especially McDormand playing a very pregnant officer facing unspeakable carnage; she refuses to jettison her "keep yer chin up" philosophy--which accounts for the unmistakable charm of this film. (And its humor, which often has to be taken simultaneously with serious shock value.)
Funny, outrageous, dark, quirky, often downright sad, FARGO has become a timeless portrayal of Midwestern nuance at its nonsensical best. Which makes this entertaining movie the hoot that it is, eh?
--D. Mikels, Author, The Reckoning
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Typical Coen Brothers Fare
Added 10/26/2009
In my opinion, the Coen Brothers are more of an imitation of sorts than real entertainment and insight. I've actually enjoyed most of their movies to date for the most part (I had much trouble getting through Blood Simple and Raising Arizona), and i've seen all but one of their work from the 90's (The Hudsucker Proxy) and O Brother, Where art Though. Their movies are the reason why I created the C grade, the kind of movie that always will entertain and certain times create moments of (well, they do make some duds), but ultimately just not enough of something else to make a work that's well worth diving into.
To be fair, there's nothing quite like Fargo out there outside of the rest of the Coen Brothers works (does anybody realize that almost every plot deals with something that is botched?), as all of their movies always seen to share something in common, as yes, they do have trademarks. It's a blend of dark comedy (though it would be more funny if the Coen Brothers were actually funny, but they aren't), crime, a comedy of errors, and a homage to Minnesota through silly accents and portraits, and great cinematography. Like the other Coen Brothers movie, there is a wide variety of things
What we get though, is typical Coen Brothers fare, a movie that uses stylized devices over interesting characters and quality quirkiness; instead, giving us quirky crappy characters and a largely uninteresting plot that gets more messy, with pretentious dark humor to make the whole thing seem a bit iffy. Perhaps the death knell is the fact that, like other Coen Brothers works, make movies that try to be pieces that capture a certain place, instead of making interesting plots and characters. It's not exactly a bad thing, but there's just not enough entertainment of that nature to make their movies truly good.
This is also one of those movies that becomes kind of pointless when you realize that it's something that's so just ___________ easy to live out yourself. People who absolutely love the Minnesota are better off making it a ____________ priority themselves to live there. Minnesota has plenty of mountains you know. The Coen Brothers' humor often falls flat for the most part, which really kind of made Barton Fink, Raising Arizona, and O Brother Where Art Though kind of a bore (The Big Lebowski is actually funny at times though). Fargo is no exception, as it's comedy of error crap is typically done and this kind of theme can be found almost everywhere you look in real life (so take a seat and laugh at others, basically). Quirky-crappy characters such as the two questioned girls, the totally stereotypical creepy quite man, these characters really aren't memorable, and the movie suffers because of that.
Fargo is a bit more memorable than other Coen Brothers fare, such as Raising Arizona with it's lame and generic Arizona stereotypes and screwball rip offs, and Blood Simple which was just plain boring interlaced with some graphic violence that's horribly dated. It's pretty fast paced for the most part, contains some gorgeous cinematography (no, I don't like Minnesota enough to live their, the movie is enough), and some of the bits are actually funny (Showalter's rant towards the parking booth guy is hilarious and something we all want to do to gatekeepers like the ________ at the recreation center I dealt with. Burn in *****, __________), and contains some cool violence, though not quite on par with the shootout in MIller's Crossing (I love the Tommy Gun anyway). However, the plot wears thin when further stretched, there's no interesting insight to anything, it's not entertaining enough to make of for insight (ie KIll Bill), and it's just another Coen Brothers film except with a different setting and different character gimmicks on top of it.
Do I recommend Fargo? Absolutely? But for all of Fargo's stylistic devices, genre-blurring, and other good things, I still can't really gall myself to give this movie anything other than three stars. However, you'll probably like it more than I did, and I think that watching this movie more than once every year or so actually helps. However, I just can't get myself to own this one. I certianly won't watch this one as much as I do my other DVD's. Not a bad film, but it's an overhyped 90's movie that should probably be suited more for bargain bins rather than movie lists that rank this among the best.
C+
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Brilliant
Added 10/26/2009
This is the story of Jerry Lundegaard. A hapless car salesman who needs money to repay the money he stole from GMAC. Why did Jerry steal money from GMAC? NO one knows, that is never brought up in the film, and it took me 6 viewings to realize that we never knew why he needed the money; I suppose that is because it is inconsequential to the plot. Jerry hatches a scheme by which he hires two thugs to kidnap his wife. Jerry would then tell his rich father in law about the situation and get the ransom and split it with the thugs. Sounds simple, only everything goes wrong. But through all the mix ups and catastrophes, Jerry never gives up on his plan. He is eternally optimistic that it will work out for him. Through it all you have local Minnesota law enforcement looking into the case and the crime scenes left behind by the 2 thugs. Frances McDormand won an Oscar for her role as Sheriff Marge Gunderson. But by and large, fans of the film believe William H Macy was screwed.
About the DVD: The DVD contains the regular DVD goodies, deleted scenes, trailers and commentary. The two big bonuses are the interview with the Cohen brothers and the documentary "Minnesota Nice". But above and beyond all that there is a trivia track that plays like pop up video through the course of the movie that is addictive. The extras make this great movie even better. If you have the choice of this version or the El Cheapo, do yourself a favor and spend the few extra bucks for the special edition, it is truly special.
1 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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"Films like "Fargo" are why I love the movies", said Roger Ebert.
Added 10/7/2009
The film-makers Joel and Ethan Coen, the writing/directing team also known as Two Headed Director, are the reason why I believe in the modern movie-making. To take the story like the one Fargo is based on which has been told so many times before and I am sure will be told over and over again, to turn it and twisted in the most un-anticipated ways, to create the characters so alive and three dimensional that you believe every word they say and every step they take, to provide them with some of the best quotes and dialogs I've ever had pleasure to hear, to mix unique dark humor and humanity, to make the film recognizable but uniquely beautiful, dark, dramatic, and funny - that's what Coens achieved in Fargo which has been supposedly the Best film they ever made. All of us, Coens' fans have our own favorite film but it is hard to disagree that with Fargo, Coens sealed the place in Cinema Hall of Fame. Fargo is a movie of many dimensions. As many of Coens' films, it centers on a botched crime that includes kidnapping gone terribly wrong. Many viewers see it as a dark comical crime/mystery thriller which it is but it is much more. It rises to the high tragedy, and it is one of the most beautiful gentle love stories committed to screen which is very unusual for Coens. What I especially love in Fargo - the perfect balance between the scenes of building suspense, graphic violence, humor, and the real drama from the lives of the real people. The visual palette of the film with color white dominating the screen is stunning, and the snow that covers American Midwest for what seems the eternal winter, is as important character for the film as the rest of them. The sorrowful music score deserves a special mention for creating the mood. It has been told a lot about dream cast that Coens gathered for the film. Of all stars, Frances McDormand and William H. Macy got the most recognition, and very deservingly so. Macy is amazing and a spot- on, and in the final scene of the film, genuinely heartbreaking. It is impossible to imagine anybody else in the role of Jerry Lundegaard, the desperate man who came up with the perfect scheme to become rich without hurting anyone and whose good intentions paved the road directly to hell of Shakespearian proportions. Macy was determined from the beginning that it was HIS role in spite Coens' doubts even after the second reading. He did not hesitate to beg them, and the result proved absolutely terrific. Any way I look at Fargo, it is a great work of Cinema that would make it difficult for its creators to overpass because it is perfect. As a true masterpiece, it only gets better as time passes and it opens new dimensions with every new viewing.
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Doesn't age well
Added 1/8/2010
Looking at the movie after 15 years last night, whatever novelty there was is gone. I remember Ebert raving about the unusual dialogue of the movie. There's nothing distantly remarkable about that discourse exempt for the ridiculous accents and the idea that people in Mpls actually speak that way. Sure, Macy and McDormand have quirky characters at times, but there's really little grabbing about the movie. It's notable how brief the plot is and the elements of strong violence the story hangs on. A caricature without point and a drama without heart. Suspense? not really
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
An Absolute Hoot
Added 11/20/2009
Gotta admire those salty Midwesterners. Not even a kidnapping plot gone awry with some unforeseen bloodletting will affect their unflappable "okey dokey" optimism. And it's this tongue-in-cheek tribute to Midwestern grit that makes the Coen Brothers' FARGO such a delight--dark humor and supreme quirkiness notwithstanding. This is a fun ride, no matter how bleak the story becomes, don't ya know.
The outstanding cast features two standouts who really make this movie glide like a curling iron on the ice (gotta use that Northern metaphor, ya see). They would be William H. Macy as used car salesman Jerry Lundegaard, and Frances McDormand as Brainerd Police Chief Marge Gunderson. Both actors are topnotch as happy-go-lucky Minnesotans who maintain their demeanor no matter what the external circumstances, which become considerable. Especially McDormand playing a very pregnant officer facing unspeakable carnage; she refuses to jettison her "keep yer chin up" philosophy--which accounts for the unmistakable charm of this film. (And its humor, which often has to be taken simultaneously with serious shock value.)
Funny, outrageous, dark, quirky, often downright sad, FARGO has become a timeless portrayal of Midwestern nuance at its nonsensical best. Which makes this entertaining movie the hoot that it is, eh?
--D. Mikels, Author, The Reckoning
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Typical Coen Brothers Fare
Added 10/26/2009
In my opinion, the Coen Brothers are more of an imitation of sorts than real entertainment and insight. I've actually enjoyed most of their movies to date for the most part (I had much trouble getting through Blood Simple and Raising Arizona), and i've seen all but one of their work from the 90's (The Hudsucker Proxy) and O Brother, Where art Though. Their movies are the reason why I created the C grade, the kind of movie that always will entertain and certain times create moments of (well, they do make some duds), but ultimately just not enough of something else to make a work that's well worth diving into.
To be fair, there's nothing quite like Fargo out there outside of the rest of the Coen Brothers works (does anybody realize that almost every plot deals with something that is botched?), as all of their movies always seen to share something in common, as yes, they do have trademarks. It's a blend of dark comedy (though it would be more funny if the Coen Brothers were actually funny, but they aren't), crime, a comedy of errors, and a homage to Minnesota through silly accents and portraits, and great cinematography. Like the other Coen Brothers movie, there is a wide variety of things
What we get though, is typical Coen Brothers fare, a movie that uses stylized devices over interesting characters and quality quirkiness; instead, giving us quirky crappy characters and a largely uninteresting plot that gets more messy, with pretentious dark humor to make the whole thing seem a bit iffy. Perhaps the death knell is the fact that, like other Coen Brothers works, make movies that try to be pieces that capture a certain place, instead of making interesting plots and characters. It's not exactly a bad thing, but there's just not enough entertainment of that nature to make their movies truly good.
This is also one of those movies that becomes kind of pointless when you realize that it's something that's so just ___________ easy to live out yourself. People who absolutely love the Minnesota are better off making it a ____________ priority themselves to live there. Minnesota has plenty of mountains you know. The Coen Brothers' humor often falls flat for the most part, which really kind of made Barton Fink, Raising Arizona, and O Brother Where Art Though kind of a bore (The Big Lebowski is actually funny at times though). Fargo is no exception, as it's comedy of error crap is typically done and this kind of theme can be found almost everywhere you look in real life (so take a seat and laugh at others, basically). Quirky-crappy characters such as the two questioned girls, the totally stereotypical creepy quite man, these characters really aren't memorable, and the movie suffers because of that.
Fargo is a bit more memorable than other Coen Brothers fare, such as Raising Arizona with it's lame and generic Arizona stereotypes and screwball rip offs, and Blood Simple which was just plain boring interlaced with some graphic violence that's horribly dated. It's pretty fast paced for the most part, contains some gorgeous cinematography (no, I don't like Minnesota enough to live their, the movie is enough), and some of the bits are actually funny (Showalter's rant towards the parking booth guy is hilarious and something we all want to do to gatekeepers like the ________ at the recreation center I dealt with. Burn in *****, __________), and contains some cool violence, though not quite on par with the shootout in MIller's Crossing (I love the Tommy Gun anyway). However, the plot wears thin when further stretched, there's no interesting insight to anything, it's not entertaining enough to make of for insight (ie KIll Bill), and it's just another Coen Brothers film except with a different setting and different character gimmicks on top of it.
Do I recommend Fargo? Absolutely? But for all of Fargo's stylistic devices, genre-blurring, and other good things, I still can't really gall myself to give this movie anything other than three stars. However, you'll probably like it more than I did, and I think that watching this movie more than once every year or so actually helps. However, I just can't get myself to own this one. I certianly won't watch this one as much as I do my other DVD's. Not a bad film, but it's an overhyped 90's movie that should probably be suited more for bargain bins rather than movie lists that rank this among the best.
C+
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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