Rating: ***
Director: The Coen Brothers
Written By: The Coen Brothers
Cast: Steve Buscemi, Frances MacDormand, William H. Macy
A good film, but a little too slow and talky for my tastes. Typical of the Coen brothers, this film revolves around the lives and actions of some very quirky and offbeat characters. They seem real enough, but maybe just a little exagerrated. Based on a true story, a sleazy car salesman (wonderfully twitchy William H. Macy) comes up with a devious plan to have his wife kidnapped and get her rich father to fork out a hefty ransom for her. Not surprisingly, the operation goes bad and a couple of innocent people and a police officer get killed. Things continue to get more and more complicated until finally the policewoman who's investigating the case (Frances MacDormand) brings everyone who's still alive to justice. Great performances by the entire cast, and the film has a really cold and barren feel to it, which perfectly complements the actions of the characters.