Fargo (Blu-ray Disc, 2009, Checkpoint; Sensormatic; Widescreen)

This is one of the all time great films of the modern era. Fargo put the Cohen brothers on the map. This grim (and true) tale is one of a man so desperate to save face that he's willing to risk it all. But really, he is so disassociated from the reality of modern life that he doesn't seem to realize the risk at all. Sounds terribly boring or made for The Lifetime Network, right? Well, luckily for us, the Cohen brothers happened to be behind this. They add a brilliant comedic edge based on the simple nature of a very simple place, with a very funny accent. The transfer of this film onto blu ray is seamless. The grain of the film are exactly as the directors intended. Most people seem to think that movies on high def should be flawless and smooth - robotic representations of reality. THe true art in HD is to replicate the look of film onto a digital screen. Easier said than done, no doubt, but the recent round of Blus have been right on the money. The audio remains quality, although the sparsness of dialog and the open, muted snowy sceens don't require any jaw-dropping audio effects. All in all it's a great redition of a great movie. I never got all the way through any of the extras although there are plenty including a long piece on the accents.