The movie _Fargo_

[J.D. P. Lafrance]

S Johnson <stj at holyrood.ed.ac.uk>,Internet writes:
> >mundane< was very very far from my thoughts when I saw this film
> back in the summer. The Coen brothers had always impressed me with
> their obvious talents and ability but Fargo is their first to really
> bowl me over. The people portrayed are far from caricatures, they 
> are some of the most real, most human and normal characters I've 
> seen in a US film. I can see how this can take some getting used to
> Real people! Clumsy, lost, petty, loving, awkward people. In a movie! 

hmm. i didn't mean "mundane" in any sort of derogatory way. don't you think that
the Coens were playing around with the notions of blandness though? from the
bleak, rather stark white landscape to the ordinariness of many of the
townsfolk, i think the Coens were manipulating the whole notion of blandness and
everydayness that we all take for granted by putting it on a larger than life
screen. they refused to give into the Hollywood sledgehammer effect of
obviousness and overacting which is such a refreshing change. it's nice to see,
as you point out, "the most real, most human and normal characters." it
certainly is a change from the usual fair which is probably what weirded out
audiences. they're not used to seeing that in a film.

bfn,
JDL