Fargo (1996)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 1996
	Director: Joel & Ethan Coen (The Big Lebowski, True Grit)
	Actors:  William H. Macy (Mystery Men, Jurassik Park 3), Frances McDormand (Transformers 3), Steve Buscemi (Con Air, Armageddon), Peter Stormare (Jurassik Park 2), John Carroll Lynch (Crazy Stupid Love)
	Country: USA
	Genre: Polar, Black Comedy
	Conditions of visioning: 12.01.2015, Blu-ray, Home cinema
Synopsis: Jerry (Macy) hires hitmen (Buscemi & Stormare) to kidnap his wife but when things turn wrong, the increasing number of deaths is investigated by police officer Marge Gunderson(McDormand).
Review: After watching the first season of the recent TV-series Fargo produced by Netflix, I was eager to watch again the movie by the Coen brothers from which it is inspired (and that it follows in some ways). The concept is original and typical of the Coen brothers: showing regular people in extreme situations, for example what would a desperate car salesman do when faced with murderers... The atypical setting in the Northern end of the USA plays a great role in the success of the movie I guess, it is indeed not often that you see you cast most of the time covered in heavy jacket and boots. Another excellent aspect of the movie is the display of those regular "American middle-class" folks in their day-to-day life, for example some easy-going policemen than never investigated murder before, or the loving husband of the policewoman, a simple man that doesn't look very attractive and never looks to people when they are talking (almost like if he is bored) but that takes good care of his wife. The habits of those people are also very "true life", like the quantity of fat food they ingest (I noticed that already in the TV-series). But I think what is the most likable in Fargo is the offbeat humor that derives from awkward situations. Unexpected things can happen to anybody: man, woman, police officer, criminal... And those awkward moments are also very funny thanks to some actors perfect in their role: Macy, McDormand, Buscemi, Stormare. A real treat to watch. I could also confirm the large number of elements that have been copied from the film to the series in order to keep the same atmosphere: weak-willed man in a bad marriage, snowy landscape, a pregnant woman, a strong woman police officer, a couple of bandits with special characters, money scams, simple people (including and especially the policemen), awkward moments, ...
Rating: 9 /10