Fargo Special Edition (18)

It may not be as rewatchable as The Big Lebowski, or possess the snappy visual verve of Miller's Crossing, but Fargo stands out as the Coen brothers' warmest, most accessible offering to date - - despite its frosty Minnesota setting.

This is mainly thanks to Frances McDormand's gong-grabbing turn as pregnant policewoman Marge Gunderson. But she's hardly the movie's `star' and a strong ensemble (Steve Buscemi, William H Macy, Peter Stormare) make the most of the tight, tragi-comic plot.

DVD Extras:

Some directors can't get enough of DVD. They keep video diaries, they provide lively commentaries, they shove in deleted scenes... Not the Coen brothers. It's clear from this `Special' edition that their involvement was minimal. So we have an amiable but stuttery commentary from DoP Roger Deakins, an old TV interview from the shoddy Charlie Rose Show (although it's amusing to see Joel and Ethan smirk at Rose's ill-researched posers) and a trivia track so desperate to cram in info, it even reveals facts about North Dakota's birdlife. The best thing here is Minnesota Nice, an involving, talking-head mini-doc which offers some decent info-snippets. There are a few other odds and sods too, but this is more a `Solid' edition than a `Special' one.

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