Coen Bros x 2

Burn After Reading: quirky forgettable fun. Thought the Brad Pitt character was cartoonish -- a handsome Fred Flintstone.

Fargo: How is it that I never saw Fargo until 2013? Probably scared off by the violence. Terrific sense of place and character. Frances McDormand and everyone in her world were grand. Very wise in a flat, matter-of-fact way. Reminds me of my late Aunt Viola, among others. I don't know North Dakota first-hand. And I haven't even spent enough time in nearby Minnesota to size up the place or the people. But I suspect this movie nailed weather, temperament and small town life in  many ways. Very funny too. To me, the crime and violence doesn't fit. And the movie would stand up very tall with a less intense plot.  We learn very little about what shapes the criminals. Maybe the intent is to contrast the extremes -- those who, in their simple way, get everything and those sad folks who get nothing. Perhaps there is something I am not getting about the movie. :) Brilliant nonetheless