Fargo (1996)

I’m not sure I agree with you a hundred percent on your police work, there, Lou.

– Marge Gunderson

Fargo is considered the greatest film that the Coen Brothers have ever made. I was ashamed that I have never seen this #124 movie of All Time on IMDb. All I knew about this movie is a pregnant sheriff, a car salesman and the wood chipper. This movie was nominated for seven Academy Awards. It won Best Actress for Frances McDormand and the brothers for Best Original Screenplay.

This movie is apparently based on true events that happened in Minnesota in 1987. The names have been changed to protect the real life families from the prying eyes of the public.

A frazzled car salesman, Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy) hires a pair of thugs, Carl and Gaear (Steve Buscemi, Peter Stormare) with a new car and forty thousand dollars to kidnap his wife, Jean (Kristin Rudrüd), because he has outstanding debt to pay off. That was his Plan B.

In a last ditch effort to avoid that is to convince his father-in-law, Wade (Harve Presnell) to purchase some land for a parking lot to get a huge finder’s fee for his efforts.

Things start to get out of the control when Carl and Gaear follow through with the kidnapping that leads to a triple homicide on highway.

Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand) is the pregnant Brainerd police chief that investigates the highway murders. She expertly retraces what happens and bring whoever is responsible to justice.

This movie reminded me very much of No Country for Old Men, dealing with a small town living with a silent killer trying to get money back. I know that this movie was made-up and the latter was based on Cormac Macarthy’s book.

I enjoyed the monochromatic imagery of the snow blanketing the entire landscape. The story has you spinning in circles about what will happen next. It could dramatic, comedic, heartfelt and borderline creepy at times. That’s not to say that this is a masterpiece.

The accents on some of the actors slipped in and out. More of the Minnesotans with the “ya” and “you knows” were getting on my nerves. After watching that movie, I don’t understand why Frances won the Oscar. She was okay. She wasn’t spectacular in the movie to deserve the accolade. I also had problems with some plot holes. I will discuss those in the spoiler section.

Judgment: Not the Coens best movie, but it does have good things going for it.

Rating: ****

(SPOILER SECTION)

At the end of the movie when the police come to arrest Jerry, I wondered who is the hell is taking care of his son, Scotty? Remember, Carl shot the grandfather and Gaear shot his wife, Jean. Maybe that was nitpicking. I have to ask.

What happened with Shep Proudfoot? He was involved in the plot. He wasn’t arrested or anything.

When Marge found the car and called for backup, what made her think of confronting Gaear by herself with her little pistol?

What was up with that sequence with the old acquaintance, Mark? Why was that in there?

What kind of debt was Jerry in when he wanted to concoct the scheme to have his wife kidnapped? Whom did he owe money?

What happened to the money that Carl buried in the show after he killed Wade?

Posted in 1996, Academy Award Winner, Action, Best Actress, Best Original Screenplay, Crime, Drama, Running Feature, Thriller, Top 250 of All Time on IMDB Tagged: Fargo, Frances McDormand, Harve Presnell, John Carroll Lynch, Kristin Rudrüd, Peter Stormare, Steve Buscemi, Steve Reevis, The Coen Brothers, Tony Denman, William H. Macy