Fargo (1996)

Plot: Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy) plans to have his wife kidnapped by Carl (Steve Buscemi) and Gaear (Peter Stormare) in order to ransom her to her rich father, Wade (Harve Presnell). Due to a misunderstanding with a highway patrolman, Gaear commits a triple homicide, which puts the very pregnant but very savvy Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand) hot on their trail.

I don't know why, but I found it really difficult to sum this movie up.

Alright, I'll just come right out and say it: I don't see what the big deal is about this movie. You know I love the Coens (writers/directors/producers/editors, blah, blah, blah), but I felt like this movie was made before they really found their collective voice.

You also know that I love Joel's fantastically talented and largely under-appreciated wife (although she did win the Oscar for this one). I'd watch this movie all over again just for the scene where Marge almost throws up not from the gruesome sight of the murder victims but from her morning sickness. That stuff kills.

And Macy is definitely at the top of my underrated American actors of the 20th and 21st centuries. He just seems so sweet, and it's almost pitiable when he realizes that his actions might have an adverse effect on his son.

I don't want you to think that I went into this one thinking that it was going to be in the comedic vein of their other films - I knew it was a straight forward thriller. As such, I was pretty disappointed that they let you know what was going to happen in the first, oh, 20 minutes.

Whether or not this is true, we are told that the events are based on a true story. As such, is the audience supposed to believe that the facts allowed the Coens no room to speculate? I just kept wondering why Jerry could possibly need that much money, and his reasoning was never addressed.

Basically, the whole thing felt so full of unexplored potential, which wasn't what I was looking for.