Fargo

Title: Fargo
Year: 1996
Director: Joel Coen
Writer: Joel & Ethan Coen
Starring: William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi, Frances McDormand
Music: Carter Burwell
Distinctions: Oscars for Best Original Screenplay and Best Actress (McDormand); Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Macy), Best Cinematography and Best Editing; currently #124 on IMDb's Top 250
Length: 98 minutes
Synopsis: an idiot arranges to have his wife kidnapped
How I saw it: on video a couple times, most recently (rented from Netflix) yesterday
Subjective Rating: 7/10 (Good).
Objective Rating: 9/10 (1 point off for cinematography) c. 3.6/4 (Great).

Good movie. It deserves its status as a "classic," but no more so than just about any other Coen Brothers movie. The score is great. The cinematography isn't bad; I'm just taking that point off because there aren't many images that stand out as memorable. IMDb's trivia informs me that this is not in fact based on a true story (as the opening caption insists). Strangely, I think if I had known that before, I would have enjoyed the movie more.