New Classics
Fargo (1996)
Released: April 5th, 1996
Genre: Crime, Drama, Comedy
Director: The Coen Brothers
Writers: The Coen Brothers
Cast: Francis McDormand, William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi
Opening Thoughts:
Fargo has always been one of those movies that I never understood the hype. I took a long time to appreciate the film’s dry and often dark comedy. Hard to even call it a comedy. However, upon my latest viewing, I did see the light. (At least, partially.)
Plot:
A kidnapping goes horribly wrong and becomes way messier than intended.
Dislikes:
Some spoilers
What happens to Scotty? Is he just left alone waiting for his parents to come home? It is left unknown to the audience, but it feels like a major question left unanswered. It seems incredibly cruel to him to ignore it.
This movie is a dark comedy and anyone who tries to sell you something different is lying. I feel the tonal imbalances cause problems for the film. Takes you out of the element and dulls the effectiveness of what we are seeing.
Likes:
As I say often these days, there are filmmakers that you never need to worry about. You know they will get the basics down of what makes a good movie. Fargo covers every basic of quality filmmaking.
The Coen Brothers have a knack for dark and sometimes quirky comedies. This film has a lot of heavy elements throughout, but there is a sense of humor to it as well. I don’t always enjoy how that works, but I’ve seen few that have ever done it better. The film has a strong pace from finish to end and doesn’t leave too many holes. (Minus the ones previously mentioned.)
The acting in this movie is great for everyone. There are numerous standouts from William H. Macy, and Frances McDormand, to Steve Buscemi. It really shows how great the Coen brothers are in their ability to utilize an actor properly.
Closing Thoughts:
Fargo is a well-made movie with many great acting performances in it. Though, there are a few holes that never get cleared up. There are tonal imbalances. It is a fine film, but I don’t find it among the greatest comedy-crime films ever made.
The Coen Brothers Ladder
Raising Arizona (1987) https://andrewthemovieguy714.wordpress.com/2024/02/14/new-classics-raising-arizona-1987/
Fargo (1996)
Barton Fink (1991) https://andrewthemovieguy714.wordpress.com/2024/02/17/new-classics-barton-fink-1991/
Miller’s Crossing (1990) https://andrewthemovieguy714.wordpress.com/2024/02/10/new-classics-millers-crossing-1990/
Blood Simple (1984) https://andrewthemovieguy714.wordpress.com/2023/11/21/new-classics-blood-simple-1984/
The Hudsucker Proxy (1994) https://andrewthemovieguy714.wordpress.com/2024/02/21/coen-brothers-origins-the-hudsucker-proxy-1994/
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