FARGO (1996)

FARGO (R) A dizzily rich, witty, and satisfying story set in frozen Minnesota, from those Minnesota-born originals Joel and Ethan Coen. William H. Macy plays a wimpy car salesman, deep in debt, who hires two wacko lowlifes (Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare) to kidnap his wife so he can intercept the ransom money; Frances McDormand is the pregnant local police chief who waddles in to solve the case placidly and competently when botched plans result in homicides. The Coens have sometimes been accused of being showy smarties, but that's not what's going on here: The crazy glaze of comedy that covers even the most shocking goings-on nevertheless finds room for one of the most fascinating and admirable female characters to be found anywhere in contemporary movies. A

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