Film 99 in the "1001 Films to See Before You Die" challenge is 1996's "Fargo". This is the second film by The Coen Brothers that has people looking for money (the last one being "No Country for Old Men"). And is another film by them that I have enjoyed. My one main complaint that I would have with it, and it is a small one, is that they make being a police officer look like more of a boring job than working in I.T. I don't know if it was me who was expecting this film to have car chases and everything else but it did feel like you were in an interrogation scene while playing "L.A. Noire". If there's one thing I've learnt about North Dakota, it's that nothing happens there! If anything does happen, we don't really hear about it! Also, this film has taught me that you should never try conning people out of money. That and try and get money by having people kidnap your wife and have an investor give you the money for a business you're not even running. One last thing I will remember this movie for is that it had a lot of snow in it! In 1996, when this film was released, Peter Stack from The San Francisco Chronicle had this to say about the film, "[Roger] Deakin's darkly delicious shots create a beautiful wintry collage that turns the prosaic into cinematic poetry." The beginning of the film has a "Based on a True Story" disclaimer but it turns out that it isn't! It was added to help viewers suspend disbelief. This film went on to win two Oscars ("Best Actress in a Leading Role" - Frances McDormand and "Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen" - Ethan Coen & Joel Coen) and is ranked at #153 in IMDb's Top 250 Films. And it's also available to view on Netflix (not a sponsor). If you have seen this film then let me know what you thought of it in the comments. Here is what I had to say while watching 1996's "Fargo"
Film - Fargo
Year - 1996
Director - Joel & Ethan Coen
Staring - William H. Macy, Frances McDormand, Steve Buscemi
IMDb Rating - 8.2/10
My Rating - 8/10
Length - 98 min (1h 38min)
Genre - Crime, Drama, Thriller
Based on a true story of events that happene in Minnesota in 1987 - Wonder if that's true or not
That's a lot of snow
Where there's snow, there's Jeeps and 4x4s
The worst place to break down is in the middle of nowhere
Is this song singing about retirement in big cities?
Jerry meets with Carl in a bar
Don't you hate it when you get told different stories about the same thing
Jerry wants Carl to kidnap his own wife so he can have his wife's dad's money
His reasoning doesn't make sense
Nothing like a little bit of ice hockey on TV?
I've just eaten but can I go to McDonalds?
"McDonalds don't serve milkshakes!" - They do now
Fuck your pancakes! I want steak and beer
$19,500 for a new car!
I'll knock $100 off the price - Still a rip off
We're in Brainerd
And this film just turned into a group sex porno
No hockey for getting C grades
Don't you hate it when you don't know someone's phone number
Four hours into a drive for them to finally have a conversation!
Time to play the quiet game
We need the cars license plate numbers or the deal is off
Nothing like a good cooking programme to watch while you knit
Why would you attack someone during the day! At least wait till it's night
Did she bite through his leather jacket?
You get the girl, I'll get the healing cream
Jerry only wanted the business just so he can have $750,000
The deal's still on... But Jerry's not in it
Don't you hate having to scrap off ice off your front window of your car?
Jerry comes home to find his wife has gone
Better practise my lines before calling by wife's dad
Who's Paul Bunyan?
Carl has his wife in the back seat of his car
Woop Woop It's The Sound of the Police
Tags on the car? What does that mean?
Well that's one way to deal with being pulled over! Just shoot the policeman in the head
Is it a requirement for Carl's mate to smoke in every scene he's in
Sorry but I've got a fat kid to kill
Well... I've found them! Upside down on the side of the road
Basic rule for any criminal - Kill every possible witness you see
Margie sounds so disinterested about having to get up for work
Eggs first then work!
Where did he get those cups of coffee from?
Is this how police detective work works?
Also, why is Margie working while pregnant?
Lou is a rubbish police officer
Someone changed their name so it was a license plate
Back with Jerry who tells Wade not to get the cops involved
We save my wife and the deal will go down to $500,000
Whoops, I completely forgot about my son!
Shout out to the Whitesnake poster in the background
Why is Scotty practising the accordian?
If anyone calls, mum is in Florida!
It's a cabin in the woods!
Night crawlers? It's a bag of worms
Shout out to Arby's Burgers
These lot make police work look boring
Better interview the two women Carl and his mate shagged last night
"You were having sex with a little fella"
Why does everyone say "Yeah" like Germans?
Don't you hate it when the TV doesn't have any reception
Time for a program on beetles
Margie gets a call from Mike Yanagita about Margie being on the news and having a catch up phone call
Back with Jerry who's back to selling cars
Carl calls him about that he's killed three people and wants more money
He wants the entire $80,000 and wants it tomorrow
At least Carl has sympathy for killing those people
No license numbers, no deal!!!
Nothing like an all you can eat buffet
Better visit this Shep in Twin Cities
Back to Jerry who's arguing with Wade
Wade's willing to give $1,000,000 rather than the original $80,000
Margie is really making police work look boring
If your car is wanted by police the last place you should take it is a airport parking lot
Time for me to steal some license plates so I can cross the border
We still need $4!
That whipped off his smile
Jerry's at Shep's garage to find Shep with Margie
Stillwater is a real place?!?! I thought it was a made up world by Saints Row
Margie finds Jerry at his work to talk about the car he gave Carl
She is shit at her job!!!
Time for Margie to meet Mike in person
Don't try and flirt with her if she's already married
This is a very awkward reunion
Time to see a acoustic guitar show with Jose Feliciano with Carl in the audience with another hooker
And once again this film has turned into a porno
Shep stops the sex party to attack everyone including Carl
This is the most Shep has ever said and it was all swear words
Wade overhears everything and leaves without Jerry but with the money
Does eveyone drive a Cadillac?
Well that's Wade shot for messing around
Wade shoots Carl in the jaw
Carl then kills Wade
Never shove a gun down your trousers!
Thanks for the money!
My father-in-law is dead! Better shove the body in the trunk
Officer Morson meets Mr Mohra about Carl
"It's probably nothing but thanks for letting me know" - Seems like everyones excuse for not wanting to do anything
Just curious, where's Carl's mate?
Nice to know you can close wounds by shoving toilet paper in the wound
If you don't have a shovel, use a ice scrapper
So... He's just buried all that money in the snow and kept the original $80,000?!?
Better ring a friend about why Mike is lonely
Ladies - If you're pregnant, just eat nothing but Burger King for 9 months
Margie visits Jerry again about the missing car
It's taken this long for Margie to actually act like a police officer
Let's go count inventory now while you're here
If I was her, I would be questioning his attitude and what he's writing on his clipboard?
Jerry's driving away and Margie has returned to useless cop
Back with Carl's mate who's been watching TV all this time
Here's your half of the $80,00 and you can even have my truck
Carl's mate appears to have killed Carl with an axe
Margie's found the missing car!
Why can I hear a chainsaw?
Must be getting some wood for a fire
Ok... It's a woodchipper!
And it's shooting out blood
Carl's been killed and shoved in a woodchipper
Nothing like a bullet to the back of the knee to stop a criminal
Now the back up arrives even though Margie has him arrested
Meanwhile somewhere in North Dakota
Jerry's been hiding out in a motel and has been caught by the police
Norm tells Margie that he's been promoted but talks about stamps instead
THE END
Film - Fargo
Year - 1996
Director - Joel & Ethan Coen
Staring - William H. Macy, Frances McDormand, Steve Buscemi
IMDb Rating - 8.2/10
My Rating - 8/10
Length - 98 min (1h 38min)
Genre - Crime, Drama, Thriller
Based on a true story of events that happene in Minnesota in 1987 - Wonder if that's true or not
That's a lot of snow
Where there's snow, there's Jeeps and 4x4s
The worst place to break down is in the middle of nowhere
Is this song singing about retirement in big cities?
Jerry meets with Carl in a bar
Don't you hate it when you get told different stories about the same thing
Jerry wants Carl to kidnap his own wife so he can have his wife's dad's money
His reasoning doesn't make sense
Nothing like a little bit of ice hockey on TV?
I've just eaten but can I go to McDonalds?
"McDonalds don't serve milkshakes!" - They do now
Fuck your pancakes! I want steak and beer
$19,500 for a new car!
I'll knock $100 off the price - Still a rip off
We're in Brainerd
And this film just turned into a group sex porno
No hockey for getting C grades
Don't you hate it when you don't know someone's phone number
Four hours into a drive for them to finally have a conversation!
Time to play the quiet game
We need the cars license plate numbers or the deal is off
Nothing like a good cooking programme to watch while you knit
Why would you attack someone during the day! At least wait till it's night
Did she bite through his leather jacket?
You get the girl, I'll get the healing cream
Jerry only wanted the business just so he can have $750,000
The deal's still on... But Jerry's not in it
Don't you hate having to scrap off ice off your front window of your car?
Jerry comes home to find his wife has gone
Better practise my lines before calling by wife's dad
Who's Paul Bunyan?
Carl has his wife in the back seat of his car
Woop Woop It's The Sound of the Police
Tags on the car? What does that mean?
Well that's one way to deal with being pulled over! Just shoot the policeman in the head
Is it a requirement for Carl's mate to smoke in every scene he's in
Sorry but I've got a fat kid to kill
Well... I've found them! Upside down on the side of the road
Basic rule for any criminal - Kill every possible witness you see
Margie sounds so disinterested about having to get up for work
Eggs first then work!
Where did he get those cups of coffee from?
Is this how police detective work works?
Also, why is Margie working while pregnant?
Lou is a rubbish police officer
Someone changed their name so it was a license plate
Back with Jerry who tells Wade not to get the cops involved
We save my wife and the deal will go down to $500,000
Whoops, I completely forgot about my son!
Shout out to the Whitesnake poster in the background
Why is Scotty practising the accordian?
If anyone calls, mum is in Florida!
It's a cabin in the woods!
Night crawlers? It's a bag of worms
Shout out to Arby's Burgers
These lot make police work look boring
Better interview the two women Carl and his mate shagged last night
"You were having sex with a little fella"
Why does everyone say "Yeah" like Germans?
Don't you hate it when the TV doesn't have any reception
Time for a program on beetles
Margie gets a call from Mike Yanagita about Margie being on the news and having a catch up phone call
Back with Jerry who's back to selling cars
Carl calls him about that he's killed three people and wants more money
He wants the entire $80,000 and wants it tomorrow
At least Carl has sympathy for killing those people
No license numbers, no deal!!!
Nothing like an all you can eat buffet
Better visit this Shep in Twin Cities
Back to Jerry who's arguing with Wade
Wade's willing to give $1,000,000 rather than the original $80,000
Margie is really making police work look boring
If your car is wanted by police the last place you should take it is a airport parking lot
Time for me to steal some license plates so I can cross the border
We still need $4!
That whipped off his smile
Jerry's at Shep's garage to find Shep with Margie
Stillwater is a real place?!?! I thought it was a made up world by Saints Row
Margie finds Jerry at his work to talk about the car he gave Carl
She is shit at her job!!!
Time for Margie to meet Mike in person
Don't try and flirt with her if she's already married
This is a very awkward reunion
Time to see a acoustic guitar show with Jose Feliciano with Carl in the audience with another hooker
And once again this film has turned into a porno
Shep stops the sex party to attack everyone including Carl
This is the most Shep has ever said and it was all swear words
Wade overhears everything and leaves without Jerry but with the money
Does eveyone drive a Cadillac?
Well that's Wade shot for messing around
Wade shoots Carl in the jaw
Carl then kills Wade
Never shove a gun down your trousers!
Thanks for the money!
My father-in-law is dead! Better shove the body in the trunk
Officer Morson meets Mr Mohra about Carl
"It's probably nothing but thanks for letting me know" - Seems like everyones excuse for not wanting to do anything
Just curious, where's Carl's mate?
Nice to know you can close wounds by shoving toilet paper in the wound
If you don't have a shovel, use a ice scrapper
So... He's just buried all that money in the snow and kept the original $80,000?!?
Better ring a friend about why Mike is lonely
Ladies - If you're pregnant, just eat nothing but Burger King for 9 months
Margie visits Jerry again about the missing car
It's taken this long for Margie to actually act like a police officer
Let's go count inventory now while you're here
If I was her, I would be questioning his attitude and what he's writing on his clipboard?
Jerry's driving away and Margie has returned to useless cop
Back with Carl's mate who's been watching TV all this time
Here's your half of the $80,00 and you can even have my truck
Carl's mate appears to have killed Carl with an axe
Margie's found the missing car!
Why can I hear a chainsaw?
Must be getting some wood for a fire
Ok... It's a woodchipper!
And it's shooting out blood
Carl's been killed and shoved in a woodchipper
Nothing like a bullet to the back of the knee to stop a criminal
Now the back up arrives even though Margie has him arrested
Meanwhile somewhere in North Dakota
Jerry's been hiding out in a motel and has been caught by the police
Norm tells Margie that he's been promoted but talks about stamps instead
THE END