This dark yet amusing thriller tells the true story of a "family man" who organises the kidnapping of his own wife. Stuck and drowning in debt, Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy) resorts to desperate measures, and turns to two murderous thugs (Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare) to take his wife and demand a ransom from his very wealthy father-in-law. This could be the answer to all his problems. Although inevitably, things go wrong, very wrong, resulting in 6 people ending up dead. The officer in charge of the investigation, the very pregnant Chief Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand) will stop at nothing to make sure the criminals are behind bars.
Directed by one and written by both of the Coen brothers, this humorous yet sometimes unexciting piece of film will no doubt promise good performances, however it will leave you wanting something more. Joel Coen disappoints in his directing, especially with stylistic and slick other movies under his belt. You find yourself wanting more breath-holding moments where anything can happen, and that anticipation of what comes next.
Set in of course Fargo , North Dakota
Frances McDormand – playing the coffee-drinking, heavily pregnant Chief – creates a very realistic performance with a convincing Minnesota
William H. Macy – playing the panicking, absurd so called ‘family-man’ Jerry Lundegaard – is also convincing, yet you feel he could produce a lot more. Although he won an Academy Award for his portrayal, his performance is rather overestimated and dramatised a little.
Steve Buscemi plays the littlest of the two hired thugs, Carl Showalter. With his character only in for the 80,000 big bucks at the end of it, Buscemi delivers a convincing and amusing performance.
Peter Stormare acts as the mad second thug, whose ideas are purely to pull the trigger or even shred human body parts, yum. His performance isn’t as mad and scary as one would have hoped, and his deliverance can only be described as O.K.
So in all, this is a good/alright movie.
The Shawshank Redemption - 1994
“Fear can hold you prisoner, Hope can set you free”
This shocking yet incredible story will have you shedding tears, your jaw dropping, and yelling words of encouragement at the screen.
The film tells the extraordinary tale of one man and his innocence. In the summer of 1947, Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) arrives at Shawshank Prison. This was to be his ‘home’ for the next 10 years. A crime he appeared to be guilty of, yet he truly was innocent.
Convicted of brutally murdering his wife and her lover, he is sent down for life. There in Shawshank he meets friends, however on the other hand, he slowly makes enemies too. He is physically and even sexually abused by fellow prisoners, a nightmare that is unfortunately a reality. He then meets a man named Red (Morgan Freeman) and creates a very unlikely friendship. Being a banker on the outside world, he works for the corrupt Warden (Bob Gunton) and manages the prisons finances, as well as the guards. He quickly - befriends isn’t the word - ‘gets on the right side’ of the mean and strict prison guards, and even the hardest of cell mates. Follow Andy and Red’s incredible story of longing, friendship, corruption and brutal violence as they try to prove Andy’s innocence. With a great depth and brilliant twist, this film will touch your heart as Andy’s spirit never dies out. Some say that this is the greatest film of all time, a classic. And it really is.
The director, Frank Darabont, creates, and of course directs, this incredible journey one that is not to be missed. Based on the novel by the brilliant Stephen King, Darabont brings true depth and real feeling to this inspiring piece of work.
This film wouldn’t be without its actors.
The soft-speaking Morgan Freeman brings a heart-warming likeability about his character. Apart from his entrancing voice, he tells the tale of friendship and survival, all that comes down to one simple quote:
“Get busy living, or get busy dying…”
Tim Robbins plays the innocent yet hero of this tale, Andy Dufresne. Robbins received an Academy Award nomination for his performance, and rightly so. He plays Andy with such realism and passion, and no doubt inspires all those watching.
The mean, corrupt, harsh Warden is acted by Bob Gunton. He delivers a strong and serious performance, which gets audiences at home up roared and angry, the exact effect for this kind of character.
This feelgood movie is both inspiring, admirable and sometimes shocking. An incredible journey of hope and spirit. Unquestionably, at the end you will find you have rewound it right back to the beginning, so you can relive this journey once more.
http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi415302425/
