Review of Fargo (1996) by Simon D — 07 Aug 2012

It doesnt reach the geatness of "no country for old men" but this is a good movie. In its bare bones it is a crime drama but the Coen brothers constantly undercut the seriousness with a quirky irony.

The acting, the script, and the direction lift the movie light years above most of the movies of its decade.The performances, for instance, everyone speaks with what passes for an upper Midwestern accent, a very pronounced accent, let's say.

So when characters are doing wicked things on screen, it's rather like watching people dressed in clown suits do nasty things. It's utterly impossible to take it very seriously -- only just seriously enough for us to feel sorry for the victims and to disapprove of the bad guys, but no more than that.

Everyone except the two killers are forced by their culture to speak and act cheerfully. They never swear either. "You're darn tootin'," they say. The casting couldn't be better, with Frances McDormand, Steve Buscemi, and Bill Macy outstanding.

The script is likewise splendidly done. It's full of scenes that seem peripheral except that they add to our understanding of the characters and often lead to later payoffs. Without taking the space to describe them, I will simply mention the scene in the restaurant between MacDormand and her Japanese friend from high school.