1996 movieRating: 19/20 (Jen: 19/20; Dylan: 10/20)
Plot: Used car salesman Jerry Lundegaard needs some cash and has thought of the perfect crime in order to get it. He hires a pair of guys--a big one and a funny-looking one--to kidnap his wife so that he can split the ransom money with them. It doesn't go very well. Hot on the trail is a pregnant police officer.
"Where is pancakes house?"
I remember the feeling I had after watching Fargo for the first time. I was kind of stunned. Part of it may have been that I fell for the Coen "Based on a true story" gag. Part of it was definitely what happened with all these characters who I really enjoyed spending time with. And part of it was just because the movie was so damn good. Oh, and part of it was how much I laughed or smiled while watching some really awful people trying to pull off some really dreadful things. It made me wonder if there was something wrong with me. The overall tone, one established with that opening shot with that somber violin music and the truck on the highway. But there's a delicious black humor (yes, I did just type that, bitches!) under the surface. And part of this movie's brilliance is the way it blends the murder mystery genre and comedy so perfectly in a way where neither interferes with the other. Of course, it's the performances that make that happen. Macy's profoundly dopey and, as far as I know, just nails that accent. McDormand does, too, the moral center for this story and the only character in the whole thing who is likable. She's so atypical for the character she represents in a murder mystery. There's nothing the least bit Bogarty about her, but it's a terrific performance with some surprising depth. I mentioned that Marge is the only character you can like. You might not like the kidnapping duo, but it's impossible to not be entertained by them. Buscemi's every movement is perfect, and Peter Stormare, as we've already established, is the greatest actor of all time. Harve Presnell, Steve Reevis as Shep Proudfoot (great name), John Carroll Lynch as Mr. Marge Gunderson, Larry Brandenburg as Stan Grossman, Bain Boehlke as the guy who gives the final tip, the hookers. There's not a weak link in the bunch. And I know what some of you are thinking--what about Scotty, the son? Isn't he likable? Well, yes. I'll give you that, but only because he apparently plays the accordion. This is about as entertaining as a movie can be for the type of funny-looking fellow that I am. So why doesn't it get a perfect score? For Jen, it's the sex scenes because she's a prude. For me, I've never been able to figure out if the Mike Yanagita character really belongs. That's a lengthy scene that adds only a little bit to our understanding of Marge, marginally has to do with one of the overall themes (something Marge "just don't understand"), and has nothing to do with the main plot. And Dylan? I'm not sure what his problem is. He only watched this because I made a deal with him that he wouldn't have to participate in family movie night. He jumped at the chance but wasn't impressed with this movie which might lead to us giving him up for adoption.
One more thing: I need one more movie to complete a wood chipper trifecta. Anybody got any ideas?
Oh, another thing: Did you know Bruce Campbell's sort of in this?
6 comments:
Mike Yanigita is there so we can here an asian man with a minnesota accent. 20/20. the first time i saw this i was forced to sit in a front row of a theater. the cinematagrophy blew me away. the second time was on a 13" tv, and the acting and writing blew me away. nobody has as many perfect films as the bros. coen.
I'm just not sure that's a good enough reason to have a Mike Yanagita in the movie.
One more thing that I had never noticed before, probably because I usually ignore the end credits: Prince (more accurately, the Artist Formerly Known As Prince) is in the credits as the guy who was killed in the field. They even use his symbol. It wasn't really him, of course. The guy shot in the field was a lot taller than 4 1/2 feet.
About a month ago I returned something to Netflix and then later realized I screwed up because I still had what I thought had been returned. They were perfectly nice about it, said they would figure it out, and would return to me whatever I had sent in error. A few days later I received my "Fargo" dvd. Of course it came in about six pieces which definitely limits it's enjoyability. The lesson here is don't send the wrong thing back to Netflix, and if you do, don't send one of the all-time great movies.
This film is all about tone for me. I love the snow, the sad, perfect soundtrack, and the dark inevitability of tragedy. "Fargo" is filled with great scenes, blackly comic dialogue and great acting. It is devastating in an almost enjoyable way. The scene where the wife is kidnapped in a horrifying, yet funny way, and the scene where the woman comes across the mess on the road and then is chased are scenes unlike anything else I have seen. The ability to inject a little black humor and style into the darkest of places is something the Coens do better than maybe anyone else in film history. A 20.
cory said...
Coen Brothers:
1. Raising Arizona -20
2. No Country For Old Men -19
3. Fargo -18
4. The Big Lebowski -18
and so on...
So my question: Did you change your mind?
Note: I'm not pointing this out to poke fun at your inconsistency. I'm more than likely a lot more inconsistent than you are.
Note 2: That rating for 'Lebowski' is about 4 points too low.
I knew what I had given the film, but when reading and thinking about it I realized there was no reason it's not a 20...so yes,I changed my grade(maybe partly due to my missing my dvd). The 20 is an objective grade versus my usual where I might put "No Country..." slightly higher, so I am being inconsistent in that way. I'll think about giving Lebowski a 22, though.
I'd give all 4 of those movies a 20. I like that we can all converge in some places.
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