2 September 2000

Fargo is a captivating thriller that has a straightforward story but it's effective because it catches the viewer's attention in it's artistic value. The performances are sublime, every character is interesting.

Steve Buscemi and Peter Storemare are great together and both play their roles perfectly. Frances McDormand won an oscar for her performance. William H. Macy makes you sympathise for his character because of how desperate and troubled he looks throughout the movie. The performances are top notch, the entire cast did a great job.

The cinematography is beautiful, the scenery is ominous and can feel quite claustrophobic. It seems as if the snow adds tension to the story and keeps these characters in a bubble of trouble. A place you can't escape from. Every shot feels precised and intricate as if it was meant to be this way.

The story caught my interest throughout it's entire runtime. The movie creates tension in a subtle way by quickly showing the viewer the danger without notice, all of that is done without a single sound signifying danger is on the way. This technique should be used more often in horror movies because it creates a tense atmosphere for a considerably long amount of time as opposed to a few seconds of jumpiness, it is the opposite of a "jump scare". I might not be picking the best film but there are other films that prove this technique of film-making is one to keep.

They could've improved the pace of the movie if they got rid of the useless side-story of the former high school friend trying to seduce McDormand. That scene should've been included in the deleted scenes. It would've also been a bit informative if we could understand how Mr Lundegaard got himself in this tough situation.

I recommend Fargo for it's interesting plot, enticing characters and overall artistic value.