Fargo (1996)

Another great darkly comedic thriller from the Coen Brothers, Fargo is almost an oddity in that the story is actually pretty sparse. The 'catch the killer' plotline could easily be played out in a half hour episode of Law And Order, but this is not where the film shines.

The whole film is based around a bodged staged kidnapping which sees Steve Buscemi and his psychotic cohort (Peter Stormare) lose their heads and start killing. Meanwhile Frances McDormand (the excellently played Margie) tracks down the erstwhile killers as the pregnant cop. What makes the film work so well is the odd polarity between the intense niceness of the police, public and indeed the man who initiated the staging (William H Macy), and the two villains of the film. Not to mention the odd couple set up of the villains with Steve Buscemi being level headed and interested in only the money, and his counterpart who is intent on killing everyone in sight.

Special mention should also be made for the musical score. Despite being incredibly sparse, the few bars of music that are repeated throughout hold sway over the tone of the entire film and in particular the climax of the film.

Star Of The Film: Frances McDormand
Best Bit: Steve Buscemi getting fed into a wood chipper

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116282/fullcredits#cast