Fargo

My movie list is going well so far! Though I went looking for Pan's Labyrinth, Kramer vs. Kramer, or Don't Look Now, and didn't find ANY, I cam out with another film-Fargo.

Fargo is the story of Jerry, whom works in his father-in-law's car dealership and has gotten himself in financial problems. He tries various schemes to come up with money needed for a reason that is never really explained. It has to be assumed that his huge embezzlement of money from the dealership is about to be discovered by father-in-law. When all else falls through, plans he set in motion earlier for two men to kidnap his wife for ransom to be paid by her wealthy father (who doesn't seem to have the time of day for son-in-law). From the moment of the kidnapping, things go wrong and what was supposed to be a non-violent affair turns bloody with more blood added by the minute. Jerry is upset at the bloodshed, which turns loose a pregnant sheriff from Brainerd, MN who is tenacious in attempting to solve the three murders in her jurisdiction.

Joel and Ethan Coen have striked the big one with this 1996 film (though they have many times after with fims such as No Country for Old Men and True Grit) and have made a film that doesn't fail to stand the test of time, with an intellegent plot, great acting, and brilliant directing.

Yes, the acting is great. Frances McDormand soars (obviously, she did win Best Actress in the Academy Awards) and makes her part highly believable. Yes, believable. She will make you believe like the film isn`t really a film but rather just the actual story with someone coincidentally filming everything in secret. Is it her Minnesota voice that makes it believable? Is it the actual human-like behaviour that makes it stunningly amazing? Or is it just the fact that she had a role with a certain type of character and that she mastered that character with all she had? I'll take the last one, please. With a side of fries.

So, it just goes to show that you DO need an intellegent plot and you DO need great acting and you DO need highly skilled directors to make a good film. And this film is here to prove it.