The best thing on television at the moment is Fargo, the US television miniseries based (very) loosely on the Coen brothers’ film of the same name.
I love everything about this show. The cast in particular is phenomenal. The team have rounded up some of the finest performers across film and television.
We have Martin Freeman as Lester Nygaard, our protagonist (or should that be a our antagonist? The boundaries become very blurred), an insurance salesman whose life changes forever when he meets Billy Bob Thorton as Lorne Malvo, a definite antagonist.
Then we have Allison Tolman as Molly Solverson, along with Colin Hanks as Gus Grimly, as the only two cops in the Minnesotan cities of Bemidji and Duluth who seem to know just what the hell is going on, but continually being foiled by their own police force (who, to be fair, have been lead a merry dance by Malvo and Nygard, among others).
And the great Bob Odenkirk (Saul from Breaking Bad) joins Fargo as Bill Oswalt, the new chief of police who replaces the recently murdered Vern Thurman, who was killed investigating a disturbance at the Nygard house. Despite all the evidence collected by Molly, Bill is continually dismissing her evidence out of hand.
We also have a fantastic turn from Oliver Platt as Stavros Milos, a local businessman who has a secret, and one that’s exploited by Malvo after a bodged ransom note is sent to Milos. This leads to a situation of biblical proportions. Quite literally it seems.
The location work (shot in Alberta, Canada, but set in Minnesota, North Dakota, and Las Vegas) is beautiful. The camera work inventive and engaging.
Fargo is Breaking Bad good, but absolute stands on its own shoulders. I understand that other than some elements from the original 1994 film, the Fargo TV series is practically a new beast and one that’s clearly a pedigree.
Two more episodes to go, and I have no idea where this show is going to go. All I do know is that I’ll be sad when it leaves our TV screens. This is why I’ll be buying the Blu-Ray box set just as soon as it’s made available. This one is a keeper.
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