Rating: 
Summary: Destined to be a classic
Review: "Fargo" rightly earns its place among the 100 best films of the 20th Century, and is my personal favorite film of all time. Deadpan hilarious and tragic all at the same time, the film is a Lake Wobegon tale gone wrong. "Fargo" avoids the huge name actors and actresses, but assembles one of the best acting classes I've ever seen. William H. Macy's portayal of Jerry Lundergaard tops the list. Jerry, the car salesman down on luck and money, decides to have two thugs kidnap his own wife in order to use the ransom money for a business deal. But Jerry isn't your phototypical bad guy here; he's best described as a nebish (a nervous, unsure character). His plans blow up on his face, and he quickly loses his grip on the situation. By the end, you truly feel sorry for the guy, even if he did start the whole mess. Equally impressive is Steve Buscemi, one of the most underated actors of our time. Watch throughout the movie as more and more rage boils inside of his kidnapper character. Frances McDormand earned her Oscar as the adorable and morally sensible cop Margie. Peter Stormare's character is a truly frightening brute. And Harve Presnell is the perfect fit for anyone whose had an in-law with a grudge against them. "Fargo" is a great movie for repeat viewing because it can be analyzed in and out. The greatest scene perhaps is when Margie's school friend Mike meets her for a drink. On the surface, it is extraneous to the plot, but look for a deeper signifigance as it relates to events in the movie. The bottom line is that "Fargo" is just a terrific, terrific film.
Rating:
Summary: "Mr. Lundergaard, you're a bald-faced liar!"
Review: Desperate times call for desperate action, and that is precisely what motivates Jerry Lundergaard in this true story as told by the American masters, the Coens.Struggling car salesman, Jerry (William H. Macy in an Oscar nominated performance), concocts a plan to get money which involves scamming loans from GMAC, scamming a loan from his father-in-law and business partner, and organizing the kidnapping of his own wife. Of course, when things get that complicated in trying to achieve just one thing, things go wrong, and very quickly! The body count reaches six by the film's end, and police chief of Brainerd, Frances McDormand (Oscar winner for this role under the direction of her husband, Coen brother Joel) uncovers it all by driving around in her Prowler and constantly eating to feed her very pregnant state. The film itself is very short--less than 100 minutes--for something so plot-driven and complex, yet its efficiency makes it move so well. Even so, there is still time to enjoy the many marvelous shots provided by cinematographer Roger Deakins (oscar nommed for this film) which border on trompe l'oeil at times. If I had to say something questionable about this work, it would be listing Frances as the "lead" actress, as she doesn't come into the story until thiry minutes into the film. Even so, she makes the most of her screentime, and brings together this piece of noir/comedy/satire/morality play. Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare are Coen film regulars, and are never given enough credit for their work in this film. As the bad guys, they are brilliant! Coen regular Harve Presnell also is great as the father-in-law who holds deserved disdain for his son-in-law, Jerry, and the hypnotic score by the Coens' composer, Carter Burwell, will stay with you long afterwards. A fine assemblage of people came together to make this odd story great; Fargo was a contender for picture of the year in 1996, and you'll instantly see why upon the very first viewing. Many kudos to Joel and Ethan Coen for their winning screenplay based on the story told to them by their grandmother. A lot CAN happen in the middle of nowhere, and Fargo is indeed worthy of being on AFI's top 100 list.
Rating: 
Summary: I Just Don't Understand
Review: How can anyone enjoy so much brutal and pointless violence (The Wood Chipper Scene) It has no depth to it, unlike other films like Reservoir Dogs, where the killing is a result of the occuring plot. NOT A MOVIE FOR YOU OR CHILDREN
Rating:
Summary: Fargo
Review: The Coens did it again. In their production of Fargo, they create an atmosphere of incompetence in the northern Midwest, poking fun at the people of Minnesota. Frances Mcdormand definitely deserves her Oscar, adding that humorous accent. William H. Macy also puts in a great performance as car salesman Jerry Lundegaard, whose wife is kidnapped by two men he paid to do it, Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare, and then his wealthy father-in-law can pay the ransom, then he would split the money with the kidnappers, and get out of his financial trouble. Instead of just asking his father-in-law, he hires these two numbskulls, and they screw it up big time. I'm possibly the biggest Steve Buscemi fan, and he's great in this one. I think it would have been interesting, however, if he had tried the Minnesota accent. That probably would have added some more humor to his role, even though it is hilarious already. His interaction with the parking booth attendant his great. Playing his partner, Peter Stormare doesn't talk much, he only has about 15 lines, but is funny and ruthless as it is. This movie also recieved the Best Screenplay Oscar, which was well-deserved. This moive is great.
Rating:
Summary: A Shocking Film that took me completely by Surprise.
Review: I expected Fargo to be a light hearted comedy that was set in the midwest. The movie not only was funny but it was thrilling and violent as well. The movie was good, very good actually. Frances McDormand did a wonderful job playing Marge the pregnant police officer. All the other performances are great including Steve Buschemi's as the ransomer of William H. Macy's wife. The plot is very gripping and the low score and cinematography was good too. I highly reccomend this film.
Rating:
Summary: Destined to be a classic
Review: "Fargo" rightly earns its place among the 100 best films of the 20th Century, and is my personal favorite film of all time. Deadpan hilarious and tragic all at the same time, the film is a Lake Wobegon tale gone wrong. "Fargo" avoids the huge name actors and actresses, but assembles one of the best acting classes I've ever seen. William H. Macy's portayal of Jerry Lundergaard tops the list. Jerry, the car salesman down on luck and money, decides to have two thugs kidnap his own wife in order to use the ransom money for a business deal. But Jerry isn't your phototypical bad guy here; he's best described as a nebish (a nervous, unsure character). His plans blow up on his face, and he quickly loses his grip on the situation. By the end, you truly feel sorry for the guy, even if he did start the whole mess. Equally impressive is Steve Buscemi, one of the most underated actors of our time. Watch throughout the movie as more and more rage boils inside of his kidnapper character. Frances McDormand earned her Oscar as the adorable and morally sensible cop Margie. Peter Stormare's character is a truly frightening brute. And Harve Presnell is the perfect fit for anyone whose had an in-law with a grudge against them. "Fargo" is a great movie for repeat viewing because it can be analyzed in and out. The greatest scene perhaps is when Margie's school friend Mike meets her for a drink. On the surface, it is extraneous to the plot, but look for a deeper signifigance as it relates to events in the movie. The bottom line is that "Fargo" is just a terrific, terrific film.
Rating:
Summary: Minnesota Nice? NOT!!!
Review: If you are reasonably intelligent, have a sense of humor and are film-savvy at all, PLEASE ignore the "why is this film popular?" reviews and see it for yourself. This is a modern classic, filled with dark humor, an intriguing plot and wonderful performances. Dark humor an satire are often lost on people, but if you're the type of person who generally "gets it" (you know who you are) you'll probably end up watching "Fargo" more than once. I feel sorry for anyone who doesn't "get" this film's realism, dark humor, subtle wit, and sensitivity. The tenderness shown to way-pregnant police chief Marge Gunderson by her concerned husband on those bitter Fargo mornings presents us with a stark contrast to the utter callousness of the weasly Jerry Lundergaard towards his hapless wife. Brilliant performances by all, especially Frances McDormand and Steve Buscemi. I will never look at a wood chipper in the same way again.
Rating:
Summary: Should have won the Oscar, brilliant.
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Very Good!
Review: Fargo is the Coen brothers best movie. The classic movie twkes place in Minnesota in 1986. Jerry wants his wife kidnapped so he can get money from is father-in-law and give $40,000 to the kidnappers and keep the other $40,000 for himself but everything goes wrong.
Rating:
Summary: "You are a smooth smoothie, you know..."
Review: Very few movies stand out in the world of cinema in a way that "Fargo" does. This off-the-wall thriller that combines humor with suspense is an absolute masterpiece in my eyes. It's one of those films that I can watch over and over again without ever worrying about getting tired of it. It is a movie that is crafted and presented to us in a fresh and exciting manner. The plot revolves around a bizarre kidnapping scheme. Jerry Lundergaard is pressed for cash, so he resorts to hiring two thugs to kidnap his own wife so that his father-in-law will pay the ransom. Sounds like one bizarre plan, but one must remember how desperate people can get when it comes to money issues. It's easy to see that trouble lies ahead once the plan is set into motion, and a series of events have been unleashed that cannot be undone. What's supposed to be a simple and straight-forward plan ends up being a horrific mess with unspeakable consequences. "Fargo" is truly one of those films where you know the majority of the population has seen it. Everybody repeats the lines, reenacts the silly and sometimes over-the-top accent (although, I have been to Minnesota many times, and people do talk like that!), and everybody seems to have their own favorite scene out of the movie. The film is amazingly written and directed by the Coen Brothers, who have made movies like "Miller's Crossing," "Barton Fink," "Raising Arizona," and "The Man Who Wasn't There." It's a treat to watch them keep coming up with fresh and original films that never seem similar to their past movies. The film also includes a phenomenal cast that really makes everything work. William H. Macy is great in his performance of the husband, as he shows great human qualities along with the devious and terrible ones. Francis McDormand is absolutely fantastic in her role of "Marge" and steals every single scene that she is in. Let's not forget to mention Steve Buschemi (the "funny-looking" guy) and quiet but extremely violent Peter Stormare as the two spineless thugs. In this "Special Edition" package, we finally get to see the film recieve the care and treatment that it deserves. The picture and sound quality is more than satisfying--especially the sound, as this is the first time that it's available in five-channel Dolby Surround. The DVD contains widescreen and fullscreen presentations of the film (I always recommend watching the film in widescreen, as you are seeing exactly what the director wants you to see). Special features include a behind-the-scenes documentary, a Charlie Rose interview with the Coen Brothers and Francis McDormand, audio commentary by the director of photography, trailers and more. The behind-the-scenes feature and the interview with Charlie Rose are really worth checking out, as the issue of this movie being "based on a true" story is finally put to rest. And the answer is--well, I'm not going to tell you that! That defeats the whole purpose of getting this fully-loaded DVD package. Trust me, no matter what the answer may be, it doesn't take anything away from the movie and everything is explained in a very reasonable way. This is definitely an impressive package for one heck of an impressive movie. "Fargo" is a film that will always be around. It has already reached "classic" status in so little time and is critically acclaimed by some of the world's top movie critics. While the movie may be violent and extremely dark, make sure to pay close attention to the end where Marge is talking to "someone" in her squad car, as that really is what the whole theme of the movie is about (and it is a great scene, I might add). If you have not given this movie a viewing, be sure to check it out when you can. Is it a fantastic film that can be watched numerous times? You betcha!! -Michael Crane
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