Saturday, August 05, 2006

Fargo




My slow but steady building of the DVD Library my wife and I have put together recently acquired a few new additions. A backlog of material is currently building, so in order to motivate myself to watch more stuff, I will begin offering up my two cents of a review on the various films I watch. Today, Fargo.

Fargo is one of the better Coen brothers films, and after the two most recent "Coen lite" films: Intolerable Cruelty and The LadyKillers, it was nice to rewatch Fargo for the bazillionith time and remember how great these guys are when they are pushing themselves. Personal favorites for me include Blood Simple (their debut), Miller's Crossing, Fargo, Barton Fink and the Big Lebowski.

I actually watched Fargo the other day during the insane heat wave we were suffering through in the East. The constant snow and cold of the film actually helped to transport me to a cooler place (I think Mr. Green may have helped as well.)

Anyway, if you're looking for a film with a rising body toll, spot on acting, perfect pacing (much like a perfect album lacks any filler material, a great flick never feels slow). Fargo is dark and offers a glimpse into people who are truly happy and appreciative of their normalcy, while others lack any realy sense of morality, justice, or basic human decency. It is no mistake that the film ends with Margie (Frances McDormand) riding with the albino, (Peter Stormare). Purity looks evil in the face and finds herself speechless and sad. Poignant, man, really poignant.

1 comment:

Kate said...

Great review. I never thought about that ending before and Margie's reaction to the albino, but yeah. You're right on. Speachless and sad.