"Fargo" is the modern classic that elevated the Coen brothers to the upper echelon of filmmakers working today. They'd done some fine work prior to this but it wasn't until "Fargo" that they got the attention that they deserved.

The film is set in Minnesota in 1987 and centres around a kidnapping plot that goes horribly awry. Blood is shed and yet the laughs come steadily. In retrospect, it's amazing how effectively the film balances unflinching violence and understated comedy.

The cast is dynamite. Frances McDormand won a well-deserved Oscar for her performance as the local police chief while William H. Macy got his big break by nailing the character of inept car salesman Jerry Lundegaard. And how can you not like Steve Buscemi & Peter Stormare as the pair of kidnappers? In fact, there's not a single performance in the film that's less than ideal.

Then, of course, you've got the work of the Coens to consider. Joel got the directing credit but both brothers actually collaborated, as they did with the script. The script garnered a richly deserved Oscar while the direction was recognized with a nomination. The Roger Deakins cinematography was also nominated for an Oscar but Carter Burwell's moody score was unaccountably snubbed.

In the end, "Fargo" is one of those films where almost everything works so well that it's difficult to spot even the slightest flaw. As a dark comedy, it's practically without peer. As a Coen brothers film, I'd say it edges out "No Country For Old Men" as the best of their career.