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Posted: April 12th, 2003.
Poor Jerry Lundegaard. He’s deep in debt. His wealthy father-in-law has norespect for him. He cheats customers at the car dealership where he works. Andnow he’s hired a bumbling duo to kidnap his wife–a plan that goes horriblyawry, leading to homicide.
Enter Marge Gunderson, one of the most fabulous movie cops in film history. Thevery-pregnant Marge– played marvelously by Frances McDormand in an Oscar-winningand career-defining performance– just goes about her everyday business, eating(in nearly every scene), talking to the people in the community, and examiningbloody corpses as if no day is different from the next. A multiple murder inthe small town of Brainerd, Minnesota–home of Paul Bunyan, as the sign claims–seems to have little effect on her. Yet she has an innate cop sense– she isvery, very good at her job and determined to solve the case in her offhandedmanner.
FARGO is yet another offbeat, highly entertaining film from the Coen brothers(BARTON FINK, BLOOD SIMPLE). The film is nearly colorless; instead, directorof photography Roger Deakins washes the screen in the blinding white of thesnow, occasionally breaking for the drab grays and browns of police uniformsand winter jackets. Carter Burwell’s score further enhances the slow, steadypace of this oddly funny and compelling film. The Coens have once againpopulated their film with a slew of bizarre characters, with outstandingperformances delivered by all, particularly the edgy William H. Macy, thequietly luminous McDormand, the nearly psychotic Steve Buscemi, and the oh-so-coldPeter Stormare.
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.