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About Fargo

The
Coen brothers movies thrive on irony so it's very apt that after
their attempt
at a big Hollywood picture 'The Hudsucker Proxy' flopped
they went the opposite way with 'Fargo' and it turned out to
be their breakthrough into the mainstream. Because this movie was such
a popular
success it's easy for long time fans to overlook it while praising
lesser known Coen classics like 'Miller's Crossing' and 'Barton
Fink'. But the
thing is 'Fargo' deserved the success because it's a very fine
movie and still one of the best things they ever did. I've seen it
four
of five times and every time I do I slap my forehead with a "hot
damn! this is GOOD!". The acting in 'Fargo' is almost like
a master class, especially from Frances McDormand and William H.
Macy.
McDormand
is of
course married to Joel Coen and co-starred in the brothers debut
'Blood Simple', but her performance as Marge Gunderson, one of
the nicest
cops in cinema history, really made people sit up and take notice.
This is
Macy's only Coen movie to date, which is a shame, because he
relishes dialogue and they come up with some of the best since
Macy's mentor
David Mamet. Steve Buscemi also gives a comic gem of a performance
as an inept
kidnapper hired by Macy. It's no surprise that the Coens have
worked with him so regularly, he's just great. I always say that
my favourite
Coen brothers movie is the most recent one I've watched, so that
means this week it's 'Fargo', a brilliant movie that shouldn't
be missed
by any film buff. If you've seen it before, watch it again. It's
the kind
of movie which deserves repeated viewings.
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