Fargo

Returning to their thriller roots, after avant-bad efforts such as Barton Fink, Ethan and Joel Coen recount the true story of a mock-kidnapping gone sour. When Minneapolis car salesman Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy) arranges to have his wife kidnapped for ransom money, the kidnappers (Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare) leave a few bodies in their wake, attracting the attention of Minnesota policewoman Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand). What hampers Fargo from being a great effort like the Coen's Blood Simple is the uneasy mix: the humor is occasionally out of place for a true story about a tragic crime. Still, Fargo is one of the better twisty-turny stories of the year. Recommended. (R. Pitman)[Fargo: Special Edition--Oct. 21, 2003--MGM, 98 min., R, $24.98--Boasting a sharp digital transfer and a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, the "special edition" of Fargo--the Coen brothers' offbeat paean to Minnesota (which they call "Siberia with family restaurants")--serves up a handful of extras. Cinematographer Roger Deakins' commentary track is sparse and often soporific, but the 28-minute retrospective making-of, "Minnesota Nice," is entertaining, and the Charlie Rose Show interview with the Coens and McDormand is worth the watch. In addition, the disc includes an entertaining pop-up trivia track. Bottom line: a cult favorite, this latest edition of Fargo is a marked improvement over earlier releases, with a solid, if somewhat underwhelming, set of extras.][Blu-ray Review—May 26, 2009—MGM, 98 min., R, $29.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1996's Fargo sports a good transfer with 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. Blu-ray extras are nearly identical to the standard DVD release, including audio commentary by cinematographer Roger A. Deakins, a 26-minute “Minnesota Nice” retrospective featurette, a pop-up trivia track, an American Cinematographer article on Deakins, a stills gallery, and trailers. Missing here is The Charlie Rose Show interview with the Coens and star Frances McDormand from the previous special edition release. Bottom line: a fine Blu-ray debut of this contemporary classic from then Coen Brothers.]