Grade:  A

Director:  Joel Coen		Released:  March 1996
Writer:  Joel Coen, Ethan Coen		MPAA Rating:  R
Players:  William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi		Running time:  98 minutes

Ratings System

Fargo is one of the best films ever.  Dark comedy at it's darkest, a super-sharp script, excellent acting, direction and cinematography, and a perfectly matched score.  I have to admit that the first time I watched it, I didn't really get it.  I didn't catch the "tall tale" symbolism.  I didn't get (a lot of) the humor.  And I was unnerved by the violence.  But now, I just love this movie, and appreciate everything about it.

The acting is really, really great across the board.  But William H. Macy is exceptional.  He portrays the ultimate loser.  The guy that gets no respect from anyone; the guy that is in deep trouble, and just keeps digging deeper.  His facial expressions convey so much, the dialog isn't needed.  I love the scenes when he is interacting with customers at the car dealership, trying to sell them on the rust-proof coating.  Priceless character development stuff.

The script is tight, and the dialog is written so authentically, it's just amazing.  I understand every "ya" and "you betcha" was actually scripted by the Coens.  I also really love the look of Fargo.  The snow covered shots make me feel cold.  The movie takes on a clean, fresh look from the whiteness of the snow.  And all that white makes an excellent contrast for the blood that appears in many scenes.

- crocoPuffs