The setting of "Fargo" with its snowy landscapes reminds me of Scandinavian productions. The crime thriller, enriched with black humor, is quite exciting and entertaining. The actors do a good job. I think an Oscar for Frances Louise McDormand is absolutely appropriate and well deserved.

Directed by the Coen brothers (No Country for Old Men, True Grit), "Fargo" is a black-humored, grotesque crime thriller that paints a portrait of the provincial inhabitants of the north of the USA that is as affectionate as it is curious.

"Fargo" successfully combines bizarre situations, quirky characters and crude violence with a crime plot that may not be particularly innovative, but is certainly cleverly constructed and always has a few surprises in store. Added to this is the strongly captured wintry atmosphere of snowy Minnesota and a very playful ensemble of actors, from which Frances McDormand stands out in particular as a pregnant police officer who combines an engaging warmth with determination and shrewdness.

The Coen brothers could have tightened the tension a little more here and there and cut out some scenes that are irrelevant to the main plot - such as the policewoman's meeting with her old acquaintance Mike (Steve Park) - but even so, "Fargo" is brilliantly entertaining with its finely tuned mixture of humor and thrills.

The movie is rounded off by the very nice, wintry atmosphere in snowy Minnesota, where the clocks tick differently and everything has this rural backwater character. I like movies like this that are set in more remote regions and "Fargo" also captures this charm in a fun and likeable way. Ultimately, the movie is easily accessible and provides good entertainment.

A few somewhat unnecessary subplots and humor passages that didn't click with me keep "Fargo" from being my favorite Coens film so far, but it's still a very successful and worthwhile film.

Conclusion: Exciting story, somewhat dorky kidnappers, peppered with quirky characters, pleasantly restrained touches of humor. Worth seeing!