Big Nothing

A more superficial, exhibitionist and, in terms of overall concept, simpler take on Fargo. All the facts that play out in a similarly "serious" vein in similarly-themed genre films are presented here with brutal humor and exaggeration instead. Some scenes are indeed very intense, but at the same time incredibly funny. Fargo is strong in its chilling story and in its parade of utterly insane, eccentric, yet hugely interesting characters. Big Nothing is a very distinctive piece of filmmaking that relies on the darkest possible humor, a simpler storyline, and several quick successive plot twists, rather than deeper sophistication, urgency, and Oscar ambition. But this certainly doesn't detract from the film's brilliance and entertainment value. (11/01/2012)

A solid black-humor thriller. One of the most intricate and attractive scripts in this genre ever. Not only is the central trio entertaining in their own right, the excellent one-liners and unpredictable twists and turns appearing every five minutes are a delight, you are literally shocked and fascinated by the screenwriting pearls the director pulls out and I swallowed the film with a gulp. I have a soft spot for films like this. 90%. (08/03/2015)

Every plan is perfect until it’s met by Flaw and Improvisation at the door. There are plenty of films about losers who try to get rich by breaking the law, sometimes even for a good cause, and this one stands out only in how quickly it piles on plot twists that prevent the viewer from thinking too deeply about the childishness of it all. Given the overall nature of the film, you can gradually guess whether the ending will lead to the hybrid saying, "He who laughs last, laughs green." (19/09/2024)

A rather crazy film that could be characterized as a comedy with a crime plot, which uses violence as an entertaining element in the style of Tarantino. It has a sense of influence from the American independent scene and it could perhaps be compared to the film 11:14. A script plaything, where multiple plot lines are intertwined, the characters in the film come up with a series of both transparent and completely opaque dirty tricks, and the whole thing is not stylistically clean. However, the film's entertainment value cannot be denied. The biggest draw is Simon Pegg, but the rest are decent as well. The downside, as I mentioned earlier, is the inability to maintain a clean style, so the film sometimes plays on sentimentality through the character of the main protagonist, and some scenes are unnecessarily bloody for a film that presents itself as a family comedy for the majority of its runtime. Overall impression: 75%. (01/03/2009)

A funny fable made by a Frenchman in a slightly British style with an atypical cast. Half crime-drama, half comedy, with a hearty dose of black humour. Everybody betrays everybody, but in a very unstylish and looser way. It's probably clear to everyone that this act launched Alice Eve's career, but it may not be so incredibly clear that she's already here. A little more than her colleagues, after all. (01/02/2017)