‘Fargo’ Download and Reviews
“Fargo” Movie Details
Fargo tagline: A homespun murder story.
 Fargo DVD Cover |
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| Directors: Joel Coen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| IMDB Rating: 8.3/10 out of 155,234 votes |
“Fargo” Movie Review
“Fargo” Plot Summary
Jerry Lundegaard’s inept crime falls apart due to his and his henchmen’s bungling and the persistent police work of pregnant Marge Gunderson.
Excellent Film
Fargo is one of my favorite films of all time and in my opinion deserves to be in the top 10 films of the 90’s. From the onset of the movie, with views of the snow covered North Dakota landscape and the beautiful and haunting music of composer Carter Burwell playing in the background until the very last scene, Fargo never lets up. This film is Joel and Ethan Cohen’s masterpiece, a truly original and one of a kind work. Every aspect of the film is handled with the utmost precision and care. The screenplay, written by Joel and Ethan, is in my opinion flawless. The dialog is at times serious and at other times hilarious, but most importantly always real and believable. The screenplay would be worth nothing, however, without the superb cast of the film that truly makes the characters come to life. Frances McDormand is perfect as the pregnant sheriff who is assigned to the murder case involving Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare. Steve Buscemi is excellent as always, playing a sleazy kidnapper who is perfectly described in one of the best lines of the film as simply ‘funny looking – in a general kind of way’. The best performance, however, comes from William H. Macy who is absolutely brilliant as a desperate man who has everything to lose. Macy completely envelops himself in the role and captures perfectly the essence of a broken man whose world is crumbling all around him. The final scene in the motel when he is caught is incredibly powerful because Macy makes you feel the pain and sorrow that a man must feel when he knows that he’s going to prison for the rest of his life
One of the things that I loved about this film is the colorful characters that are a trademark of every Cohen brothers film. In Fargo, these characters include dim witted hookers, psychopath kidnappers, a very pregnant sheriff, and a lot of snow. No matter how long or brief these characters are on the screen, however, they are all incredibly entertaining and fun to watch. That is one of the reasons that I enjoy films by the Cohen brothers. They have a great style and sense of humor that is all their own. They aren’t afraid to be different from the Hollywood norm, and they make films on their own terms. Also, as evidenced by this film, they do a great job of getting the best out of every actor. I personally feel that William Macy and Frances McDormand have never been better before or since Fargo. I urge everyone to see this film and compare it to other great works of the last decade. I think you’ll find that its place is right near the likes of Pulp Fiction, L.A. Confidential, The Usual Suspects and other great 90’s films.
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The Best Effort From A Number Of People
I didn’t see this in the theater but saw it the first week it was out for rental, and have enjoyed it ever since. In fact, I probably enjoy this more each time I view it. It’s a sick movie, though, make no mistake about that. However, it holds a strange fascination, probably because of the odd characters
About the story: first, it is NOT a true story as indicated in the movie. That’s a lie. It’s a fictional kidnapping-turned into murder story with a few bloody scenes, lots of profanity (most of it by Steve Buscemi) and a comedy. Yup, this is pure ‘black comedy.’ It’s dark humor mixed in with a parody about the way the Scandanavian people in the upper Midwest supposedly speak
Both William H. Macy and Frances McDormand have some wonderful facial expressions along with their accents. Those two and Buscemi are the lead characters and all three ‘are a trip.’ Macy is hilarious; the best character in here, in my opinion. The more I watch this film, the funnier he gets. It’s also the best role, I assume, ever for McDormand who was never a star before – or since – this movie. Her character in here, ‘Marge Gunderson,’ elevates this movie from just another modern-day sick crime movie, to an original. It’s nice to see a wonderful husband-wife relationship, too, as is shown here with her and husband ‘Norm’ (John Lynch).
You have this clean, old-fashioned lady cop (McDormand), a middle-of-the-road bungling car salesman (Macy) and two extreme low-life killers in ‘Carl Showalter’ (Buscemi) and ‘Gaear Grimsrud’ (Peter Stormare) all combining to make this story a mixture not only of people but genres. Other minor characters are strange, too, led by one of Marge’s old high school acquaintances ‘Mike Yanagita’ (Steve Park). Add to that some equally-bizarre music (slow violins) and you have this unusual story that brings out the morbid fascination in us viewers
So, I guess what I am saying is this movie truly is an original, the best film the Coen Brothers have ever made and maybe the rest roles ever for the three main actors, McDormand, Macy and Buscemi.
Download Fargo Related Movies
Super film with a super lady (spoilers)
It’s well known now that Fargo, contrary to the titles at the start, isn’t based on a true story. It was just a little dig, a little joke at the expense of the ‘true story’ phenomenon. But at the same time it was a calculated move to get the audience to go with the story, because if the audience is told that something is true they’re more likely to allow themselves to be swept up by it and believe in it. And I guess for some people Fargo may seem a little weird (well, to people who have been weaned on blockbusters). Therefore the true story tag was there to help make the plot seem more plausible
But, really, the film didn’t need it. The film only seems odd in that the characters speak like real people, with all the broken sentences and ‘ums’ and ‘ahs’ (and ‘yahs’), and act like real people some act with nobility, others are completely feckless and some are violent. It also seems unusual because we’re used to films where people speak perfectly, think perfectly and act perfectly. So, therefore, most audiences are used to a Hollywood unreality, which is why Fargo was such a breath of fresh air all those years back What I enjoy most about Fargo is Jerry Lundegaard (played by William H. Macy). He’s such an idiot, a real putz (‘What the heck d’ya mean?’). Yet despite the fact that he’s stupid, and despite the fact that he has his own wife kidnapped for money, I can’t help but kind of feel sorry for the guy. And I sort of feel sorry for him because he’s human. He’s embarrassed when he’s asked why he needs the money; he’s awkward when he’s telling his son that something has happened to his mother; he gets angry when his plans fall through; and he loses his rag when the police finally catch on to him. Yet even then he desperately tries to maintain his dignity. He never reveals his true feelings. (‘I answered the darn I’m co-operating here.’) And I also like the fact that he always tries to overcome the new problems that he faces. He never quits. The funniest example is the way that he drives off halfway through a police interview. It kind of reminds me of The Simpsons (the sound of rushing footsteps and then the screeching of tyres). But there’s also his final scene where he tries to escape the police by climbing through a window. He’s a pathetic guy but at least he seems real
But although Lundegaard is something of a sympathetic character, he’s also the most unforgivable. I mean, Steve Buscemi’s character and Peter Stormare’s character are just plain ruthless. They’re greedy, immoral people and that’s that. But Lundergaard is a family man with responsibilities and people who are dependant on him. Therefore, although he doesn’t kill anyone, his actions are the most heinous
But speaking of Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare, they’re absolutely fantastic in this film. At first they kind of seem like a buffoonish odd couple, but because you’ve bought into their weird relationship with its amusing eccentricities (I love the pancake conversation), it makes the violence all the more shocking. These aren’t cackling villains or loud-mouthed bad guys; they’re the sort of psychopathic people you could meet in a bar or on the street. And as a consequence they’re more interesting to watch. I especially like the scene where Buscemi is trying to get Stormare to talk. Even kidnappers need conversation. But I also like the scene with the state trooper. It’s the scene where the fun and games stop. You really know what these characters are capable of. And the coldly efficient killings that follow are brutal in how simply they’re directed. Too often directors try and tell you how to feel. The Coens just show it, and it’s a technique that, for me, is far more effective
Another thing that the Coens show are the Minnesota people. Having never been there I have no idea whether the accent is accurate, but it’s an interesting portrait of a society. Everyone is so damn polite. Even when a parking attendant is getting threatened he’s still got a big smile on his face. And there’s one guy who, matter of factly, tells how Buscemi’s character threatened him. It’s a great scene because it captures the way that people tell stories kind of flatly and with little creativity. And at the end they talk about the weather. Brilliant. But setting the story in Minnesota was a great decision because polite societies are often the most violent just take Victorian England. Everything gets repressed and it ends up bursting. Plus the snow and the pure white landscape hint at something dark under the surface
However, what lingers most in the memory is the character of Marge. She’s the film’s moral centre. She’s the one who sees through the insanity of what’s happening and the one that gives you hope for the future. Indeed, Marge and Norm are comforting figures. They have a relationship that is without mystery but one that is rock solid. They give you hope that sanity will prevail. And I like Marge’s scene with the frighteningly needy Mike. (‘You’re such a super lady and I’m so lonely.’) Even in the face of such pent-up madness she keeps her dignity and her composure. She really is a super lady
And Fargo is a super film. I’m not sure I’d put it on a par with The Big Lebowski and it’s a bit too thin to be truly great, but it’s certainly an excellent piece of cinema
Oh, but I’ve also got to mention one of my favourite lines in film. When Buscemi is talking to an escort he says, ‘Find that work interesting, do you?’ The woman’s reaction is priceless.
“Fargo” 1996 Trailer
‘Fargo’ – A homespun murder story.
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