Viewed in
2010
Formats
HD TV
Premise
Frances McDormand stars as a pregnant police officer investigating a triple homicide near Fargo, North Dakota.
Loved
The accents, the acting, the wood chipper scene.
Thoughts
Very bloody and cute at same time. Weird, huh?
The acting was fantastic all around, although I am not sure if McDormand was truly the lead, as she did not appear until a third in, and meanwhile Steve Buscemi seemed to have more screen time as one of the killers. Both performances were incredibly funny and memorable, for very different reasons. I loved the dichotomy of all this bloodshed and terror, and this adorable pregnant lady waddling around with that adorable accent. Kudos to Buscemi, who him and his character went through a lot of physical pain to tell the story. William H. Macy was not likable but fascinating as the "mastermind".
Another interesting aspect was that it felt like a really toned down Coen brothers film. The dialogue was more realistic and less decorated, and the Roger Deakins' cinematography was very to the point with minimal flair. I thought those were good choices, so the style would not usurp the performances. And there was nothing needed to be added when it came to that hilariously awesome wood chipper scene.
As much as I loved the acting, it felt like more of an actor's film than a complete film. The story was not as interesting as other Coen brothers films, partly because I kind of already knew the ending and the antagonists were not much of a threat as they kept stepping on their own toes. Lastly, the subplot with old classmate didn't seem to fit at all.
One of the Coen brothers' defining moments, thanks to great performances and that darn accent.
What I would change
Taken out the classmate subplot.
