Rating: 
Summary: Stop being Coy
Review: Let's be honest. This movie has to be one of the top hundred greatest movies of all time. And here's why. It was made by the C brothers, which means it's naturally going to appeal to us artistic, intellectual, weirdo, cool/strange types, right? Just like "Raising Arizona" and "O Brother" did. What's cool about this movie is that it works even for fans of mainstream film, who are in it for the thrill and not the odd midwestern turns of phrase, the mystery and not the "special" kind of marriage between the Realllly pregnant sheriff and her stay at home painter husband, for the bad guy getting his comeuppance in the woodchipper and not the reacquaintance with your long, lost Japanese high school geek secret admirer.
Rating:
Summary: Evil. In a good way.
Review: THIS was my favorite film of the 1990s. Possibly my favorite film of all time. I picked another film as the best of the decade, but that's another review...
When first I saw this, it disturbed me and disgusted me. I was very young, and unaware of the fact that it was a comedy. I was scared to watch it again. But I did, and the second time I GOT IT. And I get more every time I see it, which is pretty often. I've probably seen this more times than any other film, and more little nuances show up every time. For instance, a friend of mine on his first viewing (always tell people that this is a very black comedy before you have them watch it. You want them to get it, and that's all they need to know.) pointed out to me that we never learn why precisely Jerry has financial trouble. We're not sure why he's trying to embezzle, why he's got this stupid scheme. That's because it's not important. Whatever Jerry's problem was, it couldn't have been worth the lives he destroyed, especially his own family's.
I love Steve Buscemi, and this is best role. Carl's transformation from "Oh daddy" small-time fish to self-possessed Big Man With a Gun is great. And Grimsrud's speak-softly-and-carry-a-big-gun is scary as hell, yet he gets some of the best jokes.
The problem with Coen Brother's movies is often their lack of heart and humanity (See "Blood Simple;" brilliant in ways, but incredibly cold with 100% unappealing characters. Another one of my favorites, of course.), and this is the only one that breaks the mold. Frances McDormand is most lovable, most human character to appear on the silver screen in years. You HAVE to love her. And Norm. And yet she is amazingly effective as a police officer.
The best part of this is the idea of the misconceptions most urbanites have about small towns. They think nothing bad happens there, and that the people are all yokels. "A lot can happen in the middle of nowhere." And Marge Gunderson is the most efficient and intelligent police officer to be shown in a movie since positive police portrayals went out of style.
And my family back in North Dakota and Fargo itself doesn't see what's so funny: everybody is talking normally! Well, it's not that simple...
Moments: the look in Jerry's eyes when Marge asks to speak to his father-in-law; the paired Whitesnake and Accordian King posters in Scotty's room; "it's a heck of a lot."; the guy in Jerry's office who can barely swear; a scene I still have trouble watching: when Harve Presnell pulls his revolver and ...agh!
Rating: 
Summary: "Fargo" is dull, lifeless, poorly acted? Yer darn tootin'!
Review: For other "Fargo" critics, the emperor is fully clothed. But I see this movie as the naked disaster that it is.The movie's brightest star is William H. Macy, who plays the part of a pathetic (yet unscrupulous) car salesman very well. Every other character was either a total clown (e.g. Buscemi's bad guy) or was a cardboard, lifeless cutout. McDormand deserved no award for this performance. To the contrary, her portrayal of a bumbling, callous sheriff who reacts dispassionately to the death of a fellow law-enforcement officer is completely unbelievable. She did not show one lick of emotion during the entire film. Once she came close--she was about to vomit after seeing a victim's body. But, no emotion after all!--turned out it was "morning sickness." And her reaction to a dead state trooper? "Seemed like a nice guy," she deadpanned. No real cop would have reacted so lifelessly. The directors chose to needlessly glorify blood-and-gore scenes, which added nothing to the emotional effect or the plot of the film. Though the movie has its comical moments, the plot is udderly predictable (such as, "oh, well this guy's gonna get shot next") and pointless. Other movies, such as "A Simple Plan," offer more in the "crime-plots-gone-wrong" genre. Worst of all, the movie is downright *boring.* There are many bizarre scenes, such as when McDormand's sheriff meets an old friend. There are even more strange snippets of dialogue that have nothing to do with the plot at hand. Here, many people would tell me that I missed the point; that the aimless scenes are part of the beauty of the movie. Nonsense. The scenes are mere filler, making the film even more boring. If I wanted to know how boring real life truly is, then I would carry a video camera during my banal days. Perhaps it's hip to like "Fargo." But this emperor is naked: it's a rotten movie.
Rating:
Summary: Oh, jah!
Review: This movie is like no other I've seen. Yes, it's violent and gory, but it's also a character study of a lot of very interesting people. Pregnant police chief Marge is on the case of a kidnapped wife; there are several brutal murders before she solves it. The script is so good and the outdoor photography is breathtaking. The snow scenes are so desolate in sharp contrast to the warmth between Marge and her husband. You wouldn't expect a murder mystery to be funny, but much of the dialog is laugh-out-loud funny! 5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful movie. You betcha.
Review: Words cannot say how much I love this DVD. I love Marge, Norm, Jerry, Jeanne, Scotty, Mike Yamagita and even Shep Proudfoot too.
Rating:
Summary: Correction
Review: Quick correction- this film, is in fact based on a true story. I'm from North Dakota but was living in Minneapolis, Minesota when it happened. I remember it quite clearly because of the brutality involved. BTW, I've been to most of the places this film was filmed (including the car dealership- I passed that on the way to school)
Rating:
Summary: "One of the best movie's of the 1990's."
Review: Not everyone is going to respond to this movie's juxtaposed elements of often gruesome violence and satrical, absurdist humor with open arms. But it's still the Coen Brother's loving account of of the low-key Minnesotans, and their genuine knowledge of these people whom they like and understand. The movie never places itself as a comedy or crime thriller, but it's part of the movie's charm and freshness. These elements work seperately in one movie. At the core of it's narrative it's a representation of the grim facts and consequences of kidnapping and murder, but the Coen's still managed to skillfully blend dark, biting satire and comedy into the story. Most loving is their Cheif Marge Gunderson character (Frances McDormand, who deservedly won the Oscar for Best Actress of the year for her performance), and they have alot of fun with Steve Buscemi's weasley, "funny looking" crook. His behavior and actions consistently scream "I don't belong here!" Also notable is William H. Macey's pathetically misguided Jerry Lundergard. This is the Coen Brother's movie. A bleak, stark looking picture, that's moving, entertaining, and clearly defines the Coen's signature elements as filmmakers. "Fargo" is one of the best movies of the 1990's, and a brilliant achievement of film narrative.
Rating:
Summary: Are You Serious?
Review: With those accents it is extremely hard to take any of the characters in Fargo seriously. Maybe they are meant to be over the top because it adds to the sense that they are naïve and too trusting which is ironic because you cannot be naïve when you are a cop. Maybe this is the brilliance of the movie. The Coen brothers give us these cops with the hardly believable accents and they seem extremely weak and naïve. Yet they manage to track down the killers in what is a plot that unfolds quickly right before our eyes. In an Oscar winning performance, Frances McDormand gives an Oscar worthy portrayal of a pregnant woman investigating a homicide. At times she seems a bit slow, and clueless, but in the end she turns out to look like a very capable detective. The Coen brothers are great filmmakers and this is arguably their best film. It earned them a spot on the AFI top 100 list, watch it and find out why.
Rating: 
Summary: Great film, poor DVD
Review: My 2 star rating is for the DVD, not the film itself. Fargo won't win the Coen bros. any new fans, but if you already appreciate their particular brand of storytelling and wry sense of humor, it will definitely not disappoint. Alas, MGM did not see fit to give this Academy Award winner the proper DVD treatment it deserves. The print contains a number of scratches and the DVD is poorly encoded, resulting in pixel problems on a number of occasions. Save yourself a few bucks and buy the VHS until a better DVD release comes along.
Rating:
Summary: Surprised that I enjoyed it
Review: When I saw this movie my expectations were low. I heard it was dark and graphic and not a very redeeming movie. I watched it and thoroughly enjoyed the writing and the acting. The moral or the story is actually somewhat redeeming. People do stuff that it wrong and then they face the natural consequences. All the time the cool headed police eventually get their man. They mock the accents of Minnesota in a funny way. This movie is still very dark but very well written.
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