Fargo (1996)

Director: Joel Coen
Story: Joel and Ethan Coen 
Cast: Frances McDormand, William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi 
Music: Carter Burwell
Time: 98 minutes
Bottom-line: Dark and thought-provoking

Small town. Big crime. Dead cold.
Regarded as one of the Coen brothers’ greatest films, the dark crime thriller Fargo stars Frances McDormand, William H. Macy and Steve Buscemi in the lead roles with Peter Stormare and Harve Presnell in the supporting roles. Fargo was nominated for seven Academy Awards, winning two.

Frances McDormand as Marge

THIS IS A TRUE STORY.
The events depicted in this film
Took place in Minnesota in 1987.

Car salesman Jerry Lundegaard (Macy) is desperate for money as he is due to repay a large GMAC loan that he illegally collateralised. Jerry meets up with criminals Carl Showalter (Buscemi) and Gaear Grimsrud (Stormare), and hires them to kidnap his wife and demand an $80,000 ransom from his father-in-law, Wade (Presnell). The two of them manage to kidnap her but they are caught by a state trooper. Gaear murders the trooper and later also kills two people who happen to witness the murder. The next morning, seven-month-pregnant Brainerd police Chief Marge Gunderson (McDromand) starts to investigate this triple homicide. As the story continues we see how the tales of Jerry, the criminals and the investigator all intertwine...

William H. Macy as Jerry

Similar to the theme of No Country for Old Men, Fargo also is a tale of how fate or karma can intervene in your life and spoil all perfectly laid plans. On one hand we have a fraudulent car salesman whose last hope to save himself is the successful kidnap of his wife. Then there is his father-in-law who attempts to use Jerry’s real estate deal to keep most of the money and leaving only a finder’s fee for Jerry. Then there are the two criminals whose plans are spoilt by the unexpected murders of three innocent victims. But as the saying goes “What goes around, comes around”... and that is exactly what happens here too. The storyline has its fair share of drama, gore, violence and justice, but still I feel things moved too soon and there could have been a little more build up. The climax, although satisfying, seems rushed and unexpected.

Buscemi as Carl (right) and Stormare as Gaear 

Frances McDormand went on to win the Oscar for Best Actress which is bit of a shock considering the small screen time she has. But she is the only female character in the movie (excluding the kidnapped wife) and her portrayal of heroism is worth praising. All she does is use her speaking and vocal skills to get all the information she wants. I really liked Buscemi’s acting. This is one of his better films, and it was a delight to see him portray the money-thirsty Carl: cunning, violent and yet nervous, unlike his grim and callous partner Gaear. William H. Macy plays the role of the greedy husband, and the way he portrays desperation and fear is simply superb!

Fargo is a really good example to show how a simple story can be made so effective. A homespun murder story as some call it, the film combines splendid acting, scenic albeit desolate landscapes and a tight story to give us a solid thriller.

My Rating: 3.5/5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 94%