A lot can happen in the middle of nowhere!! Want to vote on what I should watch next? Click here! www.patreon.com/jamesvscinema MEMENTO FIRST TIME WATCHING will be uploaded Wednesday! Enjoy the day!

Despite what it says at the beginning, this is not a true story. The Coens did that to get you more invested in the film lol

I just started the show so I'm glad you checked this out so I could refresh my memory on the film while watching along with you haha

The dude says you must abide his wishes and watch The Big Lebowski

This is a single film genre I like to call "Moose Noir"

The fact that they continue this arc of “mundane people get mixed up with horrible things & gradually make the choices to continue which leads to more horrible things” in 4 seasons of incredibly riveting television, is very impressive.

Frances Mcdormand's 1st Oscar. She's married to Joel Coen.

MY FAVORITE MOVIE. I think it's just pure good versus pure evil. Everything Marge does is so kind and almost naive and sweet and she does truly grow when she's confronted with Peter Stormare committing senseless violence (like you pointed out, at all just feels blunt and awful). There may have just a wave of violence that comes into their very nice peaceful community but it's over and Marge is gonna have a baby and Norm's drawing is gonna be on the three cent stamp so there's still goodness and compassion in the world.

Frances won a very well deserved Oscar for her performance. Brilliant.

A very common theme in the Cohen Brother's films is putting people in a situation they are just not equipped to handle; with dark and/or comic results depending on the theme of the movie. They just can't grasp the evil they have unleashed or the malevolence around them. We just get to watch the story spin out of control with the protagonist no longer running the show. For a comic version of this, I'd recommend The Big Lebowski.

You're description of the Cohen Bros. use of "mundane moments" is spot on. I've always enjoyed that aspect in their films.

Best line ever, “ He’s fleeing the interview, he’s fleeing the interview lol

I just love William H. Macy. That guy always makes me feel what he's feeling.

If you enjoyed this I have 3 suggestions for your next Coen Brothers movie: The Big Lebowski The Big Lebowski The Big Lebowski

The 'Based on a True Story' of Fargo reminds me of the relationship The Coen's have with their editor, Roderick Jaynes

You're going to have to dive deep into the Coen Bros filmography. Blood Simple, Raising Arizona, Miller's Crossing, Barton Fink, The Big Lebowski, O' Brother where Art Thou, Burn After Reading... True masters.

Fun fact: this actually is *not* based on a true story. That's a story telling element they used to enhance it. They do the same thing with the tv series.

6:11 The vertical blinds make it look like William H Macy is already in prison, behind bars.

Great Choice. Such a well written, nuanced film from the Coen Brothers. One of their best

WELL GOSH DARN GEE HECK. HELL OF A FILM.

the little guy wasnt circumsized. "ya?" "oh yaaaa"

Three billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri. One of the hardest hitting mundane movies ive ever seen. I love it when movies like these escalate the littlest of things into memorable sequences.

One of my favorite elements of this film is the way Marge and her husband Norm are presented as the contrast to everything else. We see it in the way they look out for each other and take care of each other. Like when we're first introduced to them, she's been woken up and has to go out on a call, and he insists on getting up and making her breakfast, even though he could still sleep; and how again, at the end, he's really down about his painting only being chosen for the three-cent stamp, she knows exactly the right thing to say to cheer him up. Seeing how they care for each other provides a nice, and necessary, counterpoint to all the other ugliness and greed and brutality we see happen in the world around them.

James: “Wow right off the bat they’re telling us how real this is, they ain’t messing around!” The movie:

Harve Presnell, who played the father, was also a singer and can be seen in Paint Your Wagon, singing They Call the Wind Mariah in his famous classical baritone. He became a character actor in his later acting career.

Such a great movie. Steve Buscemi is gold LOL

So glad you're doing some Coen brothers films. I’d highly recommend "Raising Arizona". Very different type of story to the last two you've watched.

I once had a snow globe on my desk depicting the wood chipper scene. Sigh. I loved that thing.

Next you have to watch the show it is probably the single most underrated show of all time imo

The landscape really plays its own part. The big frames with small characters really say a lot without dialogue.

The fact that the cop didn't die in this film and there was a happy ending for that couple makes me happy. Jeez louis, I was so scared for her. But now Dieter Stark's death will feel even more satisfying. because boy, what a monster. Peter Stormaire is a legend. Also, I want to point out the way that the axe murder was shot. We experience it. We see the guy walk out of the house. He's got his wounded mouth, he's worried about that, we're focused on it too. Then Peter opens the door a few seconds later, we were just talking to him a second ago. Wait is that an axe- OH SH- And just like that it's over. It's fast, it happens in two seconds, and we can't even blink. It's over.

Dead mans shoes it’s a very gritty British film you’ll love Don’t let the title put you off 🇬🇧🇺🇸🇬🇧🇺🇸🇬🇧🇺🇸🇬🇧🇺🇸

Take a look at O Brother Where Art Thou

You need to watch True Romance

That wood-chipper has it's OWN little museum. I recall stumbling across the Facebook page several years ago. It has a leg sticking up out of it, and tourists can pose for photos next to it.

"The murders have a blunt thud to them." That was so sick.

Marge and Norm are one of my favorite movie couples. If i was told they were a real life couple i would have believed it. The actors have great chemistry.

A Coen brothers film that doesn't get enough love is "Barton Fink"

This is literally in my top ten favorite films of all time. You react to the best stuff bro. Love this channel.

yep, never look at a wood chipper in the same way after this one.

Some of my favorite dialogue and characters from a film. Also: you continually calling Peter Stomare "Bruce Willis' father" throughout the movie had me rolling😂😂😂

I've been waiting for you to do some Coen films. Blood Simple, Miller's Crossing, and The Big Lebowski are all must see films.

This, Pulp Fiction and the Big Lebowski are the absolute pinnacle of movie dialogue.

I had SO much fun watching your reaction!! I am really enjoying your channel.

I've gotta throw out a suggestion for two of my favorite Coen Brothers films-'Burn After Reading' and 'Miller's Crossing'. You won't be disappointed! Hope you have a great holiday, James!

Such a fun film! The accents always have me laughing so much. Also in the beginning when it says based on true events is completely false. The Coenn brothers just threw that in to trick people

One of my favorite Coen brothers movie that no one ever seems to talk about is Inside Llewyn Davis.

I grew up in MN/ND, and lived in Fargo for many years, love this movie! 1) this was not filmed in Fargo (mainly in Minneapolis area, and some in northern North Dakota) 2) dialects are over emphasized, but kinda funny 3) sad event I read about in local paper a few years after the movie came out - some lady from Japan had travelled to the area, was picked up by highway patrol walking on interstate 94 in ND in winter time (freezing temps), they drove her to the nearest town to a hotel. She didn't speak any English, but had a hand drawn map of a road and a tree, and was looking for the money (she thought the movie was a true story, too)..... She was found shortly after that near Detroit Lakes MN, and had frozen to death, with map in her hand. Two filmmaker brothers (kinda ironic) from Texas heard about this and wanted to make / recreate a movie about it. Turned out that the lady did in fact die, but the part about finding the money was apparently not true. Was a good 'urban legend', anyway.

I apologize for being too critical of you in prev reactions. I saw this in theatres after it won best picture at an awards show, and at the end of the film, someone said, “THAT won best picture?” Every time someone watches it now, I half-expect it’ll be too slow for them (unless they watch the series). It was super-enjoyable how you appreciated it, and you actually summed up their style in a way I hadn’t thought of before (by making the mundane interesting). So a big thank you to you! 🤗

The cinematography was done by the great roger deakins.

Both sides of my family came from Nord Dakota and when I saw this, I was glad that somebody made a movie where the characters talked normal. :-)

Fargo is one of my top 5 favorite movies. I've watched it multiple times and to this day it is also the only movie that I've rewatched right after watching it - yes, just like putting a song you really like on repeat, I watched the movie and when it finished I put it in the beginning again and rewatched it. Every sequence, every scene, every shot, every frame of this is perfect, and all the writing and acting in this film is a tour de force. Every detail in this film serves the plot beautifully - the Mike Yanagita subplot, for example, made Marge realize she couldn't trust the word of Jerry Lundegaard, since both lied to her and she didn't pick up on it, so that made her go back to him and eventually solve the crime. Also, their interactions are an acting class, just superb - no wonder they were both nominated for the Oscars, with Frances McDormand actually winning it. You really need to watch more Coen brothers. Their filmography is extensive but SO ABSOLUTELY CRAZY GOOD. I'd recommend Barton Fink, The Big Lebowski, A Serious Man, Miller's Crossing, Inside Llewyn Davis, Burn After Reading, Raising Arizona and The Man Who Wasn't There. Yes, all of those. I'm pretty sure you won't regret because their style is so idiosyncratic and if you loved Fargo and No Country for Old Men, it's just gonna be a feast for you.

The Coens are grandmaster filmmakers! There's so many great movies, but O Brother Where Art Thou is maybe my favorite, and was really influential on filmmaking as a whole!

“We’re Not A Bank Jerry!”

i love all the movies you react to, most of them are ones me and my best friend have watched together and nobody really talks about them much. thank you so much for all you do!!

After this movie, some lucky farmer fixing his cattle fence in the Spring found that briefcase full of money.

Funny, I just watched my own dvd of Fargo a few days ago. A brilliant movie, brilliant acting performances, particularly from Frances McDormand (married to Joel Coen) and William H. Macy, great casting.

Still my favorite Coen Brothers film. They really know character and place development. The display of senseless greed and violence contrasted with normal folk makes the movie.

I love your videos because it's like I'm getting to watch these movies for the 1st time, again

We vibing bro, discombobulating was the exact word I was thinking when you were describing the plot flow

Frances McDormands performance in this is one of my favourites of all time. Fully deserved the oscar.

Would love to see you check out “Inside Llewyn Davis”, another Coen Brothers movie. It’s probably my favorite one. Oscar Isaac is amazing in it.

You are awesome. I just discovered you, your take on film and just how you comment is great. Keep it up man, thank you.

One of my favorites since I was a kid and I seem to watch once a year or two. Glad you enjoyed it.

It's only natural for u to watch The Big Lebowski next. lol

Another Cohen gem is Miller's Crossing and Barton Fink.

Peter Stormare (who plays Grimsrud) is a big actor in Sweden where I come from :) Its interesting how a character can be so scary when barely speaking

With all due respect to Cuba Gooding Jr, William H Macy should've one the oscar for supporting actor that year.

Another Coen brothers film that would be sooo fun to see you react to is O Brother, Where Art Thou. It's a quirky and hilarious retelling of The Odyssey set in Depression Era America and it's unlike anything else you'll see haha! Fargo is amazing. I love Frances McDormand in it, she's so endearing and funny!

I would watch every Coen brothers film in order.

Just discovered your channel - love your insight and passion for film!

The first time I saw this movie, I went in completely blind and I was so surprisingly pleased and charmed by it. It truly is a great movie.

Miller's Crossing is my favorite Coen brothers movie. I'd love to see your reaction, though it didn't really become my favorite until the second viewing

Aside from The Big Lebowski, which I think every comment has recommended so far, I would recommend "Blood Simple" and the remake of "True Grit."

Very true what you said about the mundane moments. Another effect they have is making the more shocking or violent scenes even more impactful.

this movie is low key a masterpiece. the dichotomy between the police chief and this salesman is brilliant. the salesman has a beautiful family and a nice career, he's clearly upper middle class, maybe even lower upper class. While the police chief is lower middle class, with a derpy husband and a child on the way. she's content and happy with her life, and can't understand how someone who had everything like the salesman could do what he did for MORE.

I love the Coen brothers' movies; along this same genre, I would recommend David Cronenberg's A History of Violence, a great crime drama starring Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bella and Ed Harris

Love this damn movie. So dark and complex under such a straightforward and simple story. The series is also excellent but nothing tops the film. Glad you enjoyed it ✌

The actors made this. All of them. Editing, score and cinematography played a huge role. But the actors bought in to what the Cohen's wanted. Wow.

Best line of the whole movie- “And I guess that’s your accomplice there in the chipper?”🤣

Unpopular opinion: This is one of the greatest movies ever

The accents in this movie had me in tears how over exaggerated they are

"I love how this is shot." Bang! Perfect timing, James. Best. Leo.

I truly appreciate your content. Keep up the good work.😃

The wood chipper scene really happened. It was the inspiration for the film. The rest is fiction.

The TV series of Fargo is well worth a watch as well!

I hadn't realized it before, but I think you're right on in comparing this to "No Country For Old Men." Both presented violence as brutal and death as sudden, just a second separating the calm everyday of work and family life with chaos and tragedy, and then people flailing to make sense of what just happened. Something I only found out about "Fargo" this last year, the film is set in a place that can average feet of snow, and when they went to shoot it turned out to be some of the lowest levels of snowfall in years. They ended up having to film a lot of scenes in North Dakota and Minnesota.

The reason why both Frances McDormand and John Carroll Lynch (who plays her husband in the movie) have such good chemistry is because they both worked together on their characters's backstory. And that's what you mostly do in theatre, I remember in high school me and a girl from class were playing a married couple, both with different personalities, and we actually talked about our characters's backstory and we both agreed that our "son" is biological and not adopted =P

I had the great misfortune of watching this with not only my brother and his new girlfriend, but also my father. Yikes

Check out Room, the Brie Larson movie.

One of my favourite films of all time, happy you finally got to see it

11:04 -- The lighting in this scene is brilliant; the red lights on the snow look like blood.

16:00 still one of the cringiest film moments ever

I still have to recommend the Coen's first film- "Blood Simple". It's a story that feels like it was pulled from the same book of stories where they could have found "No Country for Old Men", being set in Texas and having a very bare bones story about a few characters in a uniquely human situation gone extremely wrong thanks to layers of misunderstanding that extends to the audience in a way that pulls you in. Amazing performances throughout to compliment the Coen's style as well as an ending that leaves you thinking the entire story over, until you're forced to watch it again and potentially have a whole new experience.

Well, at least we know what a quality wood chipper looks like!

My grandparents used to live on a farm on an interstate in the middle of nowhere and the crazy shit that would happen out there was mind blowing.

Love this movie. Saw it in the theatre and have seen it numerous times since. One of the Coen brother's best.

A lot of Coen Bros films are more in the realm of abstract weird-ass comedy, and they do it very well! The Big Lebowski and Raising Arizona are two of my all time favorites. But one of the more serious films of theirs I don't see mentioned as often... Miller's Crossing (1990). What a cinematic masterpiece! An Irish mob film set during the prohibition era. Powerful, visually stunning, great writing and characters. It's got everything. I feel it's very underrated. Sadly a lot of people these days just pass it over for the more known titles. When I was interested in getting into film back in the day, this was one of my biggest inspirations.

Bruce Willis "father" is the Swedish actor Peter Stormare. He has been in so many great movies, we love him, haha! Anyway, great video as always dude.

Fun fact. When the crazy guy throws the log at Margie while she's pointing her gun at him, it actually hits her in the lower leg/shin and breaks it. But she stays in character...tough woman! If you look closely you can see it :)