Fargo: An Unlikely Tale in an Unlikely Place

    Joel and Ethan Coen are a Mid-Western bred couple of brothers who went from rags to riches and are now a duo of some of the best directors in Hollywood. They're filmography is a long list of many critically acclaimed films such as No Country For Old Men, The Big Lebowski, True Grit, and Burn After Reading. In 1996, they made the cult hit that no one would have ever expected to become so big, and that film is Fargo. The film's title comes from the setting of the film which is Fargo, North Dakota. The idea that this film takes place in the unknown town of Fargo, ND is what makes it so great, because this film puts together many unlikely things and makes for an interesting mix of genres.
    The characters in the film are a rag-tag group of unlikely people who all just happen to always end up in the wrong place at the wrong time and get all of their plans horribly screwed up. The film's plot follows a police investigation of a murder and the lead cop in the investigation is a pregnant housewife looking police sergeant. Not only that but the criminals that pull off all of the crimes including multiple cases of homicide are two bozos who really aren't the brightest bulbs. Not only are the characters very unlikely for the plot of the film but another part of the film that's so interesting is the juxtaposition between the soft, vast and snow-capped landscape and the horrific crimes that are being committed there. It really makes the audience wonder, how can such people get away with these horrible things when there is seemingly nowhere to hide as everything in Fargo is a snow-covered plain.
    The Coen brothers films never cease to amaze and they have been working together since the end of the 20th century. Fargo may be one of the earlier and less recognized films in their career but to me it's the perfect blend of smart humour and graphic violence, two things that really draw your attention, especially when done with a backdrop of North Dakota. This film's mix of categories and film elements creates for a super-movie that knows exactly what to do in order to draw in an audience.

John Wick

      Keanu Reeves is an actor who's had a very interesting career with many ups and downs. He donned the famous name of "Neo" in the Matrix series as well as playing the exorcist in the film Constantine but as much he's been successful in his career, he's been very unsuccessful. As his career seemed to be in a large drought, in 2014 a film was released titled John Wick that stars Keanu Reeves as a cold blooded assassin who is dragged back into the business after his ex-colleagues rob him of his car and kill his dog in cold blood. This is a hard revenge story of a man who left the contract killing business in order to lead a normal life with his wife but when she dies and everything else is taken from him, John WIck has no choice but to get back into the game and right his wrongs.

     The all star cast of this film consists of not only Keanu Reeves but also Willem Dafoe, Ian McShane, Michael Nyqvist and Alfie Allen. The chemistry between the director Chad Stahelski and the cinematographer Dan Laustsen makes for a gorgeous and visually stunning film that is a breath of fresh air for not only all films, but specifically the action genre. The pallet of the filter used over the film consists of many shades of blue that allow for a cool feel throughout the entire film that sets a nice eerie atmosphere and creates a stunning aesthetic. Jonathan Eusebio is the film's fight choreographer who has worked on choreography for other films such as The Avengers, The Expendables trilogy, 300 and The Bourne Ultimatum and his work is absolutely mind-boggling. John Wick is one of the most realistic and throttling action movies modern cinema has ever seen. Not only does John Wick break the action movie trope of "infinite ammo" but it also a fan or accurate shooting and that comes from Keanu Reeves extensive shooting and combat training for the film. John Wick is a film that changes the way we look at action movies forever and gives us hope for the rest of the R-rated action flicks to come!