Fargo

The winter desolation of the northern Midwest is an interesting centerpiece for a murder mystery. From the opening shot of a slow moving car cresting a hill, approaching our camera, we see how director Joel Coen is going to use the surroundings to his advantage. North Dakota is a desolate, sparsely populated place where the people concern themselves with Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox rather than the hustle and bustle of a big city. It's inhabitants are simple folk with simple lives and simple jobs.

The area's simplicity is a perfect contradiction to the complex, absurdist humor this story presents. It's the style of black humor that often confuses the viewer, letting you decide whether to wince or laugh. It's difficult not to do both at some of the situations presented.

The script is a witty confection of character drama and murder mystery, featuring some of the best reactive conversations I've heard in a while. No doubt adding to the effect of the script is the deliverance. William H. Macy is once again a great pathetic loser, but Frances McDormand steals the show as the pregnant police officer on the case. In one golden scene she approaches the vehicle and describes the entire situation in one single swoop. Then, unexpectedly, we see the effects of the pregnancy on this hardworking woman. She won't let the child inside her stop her from doing what she loves and does best.

Macy's Jerry Lundegaard is an interesting mix of optimism and stupidity. He's a simple fellow trying to get some more money. But, as his plot to get a hold on some more cash slowly breaks apart at the foundations, he never ceases to think about what he's gotten himself into. He never thinks about what might happen to others if he goes on. Rather he drives forward, eventually driving the stake farther and farther through his heart. It's the type of pathetic character we don't like seeing, but is portrayed so convincingly that it's impossible not to enjoy.

Starting with a claim to be based on fact, Fargo is an absurdist tale spun around one man's fight with the present. Fargo isn't as much about the murder mystery as it is about the people living there. It's a tale that wants you to cover one eye with one hand, and try to stop yourself from laughing with the other. It's an eclectic combination of themes, all gathered around an eclectic bunch of characters.

On a scale of 1 to 10 woodchippers : 7