"There's more to life than a little money, you know. Don'tcha know that? And here ya are, and it's a beautiful day. Well, I just don't understand it." - Marge Gunderson

Pure genius. Those two words are what best describes Coen Brothers' Fargo. I saw this for the first time, and, I'm happy to say, it ranks up there with The Big Lebowski and No Country for Old Men as one of the Coen's best films with its dark and quirky writing, its gorgeous cinematography, a solid performance from much of the cast, and its mixture of black comedy, violence, and satire that only the Coen Brothers can pull off.

This dark and quirky story begins with Jerry Lundegaard, a down-on-his-luck car salesman who is hard up for money to finance for his family. So, he hires two crooks to kidnap his wife so he can extort a ransom from his father-in-law. The plan seems to be going well, until one minor incident leads to three roadside murders and the plan slowly starts falling apart. In the center of all this craziness is Marge Gunderson, a pregnant police chief who is investigating the murders and she starts to realize that the murders are connected to Jerry's ill-thought out plan.

Despite opening with a disclaimer that this "based on a true story", it's not really based on a true story, although it was loosely based on a real life case. But it perfectly sets the tone to the absurdity that is about to unfold. What the Coen Brothers do best is their perfect blend of dark humor, satire, and excessive violence and execute it in a flawless manner. You can't help but to laugh at all of the misfortunes that is happening to the characters, like Carl's short-tempered outbursts when something goes wrong or when Jerry is on the verge of having a nervous breakdown.

I must say that I have to give huge props to the cinematography, courtesy of Roger Deakins. It gives it a seemly peaceful feeling of the snowy Minnesota countryside and the music gives it an old time folk feel that just fits perfectly to the setting. One of my favorite shots is that overhead shot of Jerry walking to his car in the snow-covered parking lot.

The performances from the film's star-studded cast are all excellent. From William H. Macy as the timid Jerry, to Steve Buscemi as the loud, trash talking Carl Showalter, to even Peter Stormare as the emotionless and mostly mute Gaear Grimsrud. But the best of the cast is Francis McDormand as Marge. She's the only character out of all of them that is pleasant, whereas some of them, mainly the crooks, are crazy. She is seen as having a happy and modest life, has a loving and supporting husband, is witty, and, despite the situation that she's in and her life as a police chief, she still maintains her upbeat and "Minnesota Nice" attitude.

Overall, Fargo is a genuine classic that manages to rank up to masterpiece-level of quality. Certainly, one of the Coen Brothers' best films.

Final Verdict: 10/10 with the Epic Seal of Awesomeness