This is not a whodunnit. We know very early in the film what the main story is: a small town business man wants to get rid of his wife. So this is a "how-catch-him." Like an episode of Columbo, the suspense is generated by watching how the detective (Jon Hamm) puts together the clues. It's a tad more complex for him because there are two victims with the same name and thus twice as many suspects, red herrings and a neat Chekov's gun. But since we know who is behind the plot (which goes a lot farther than he intended), the real attraction, as in the movie Fargo, is the characters. Hamm is wonderful as the down-to-earth but very observant police chief, supported by his odd deputy. Tina Fey gives her best acting performance ever by going against type as the self-defacing but nosy neighbor who starts out as a witness and becomes the object of a rather sweet romantic subplot. Like Fargo, there is some violence but it is not graphic by today's standards. A very enjoyable film that will not give you nightmares if you watch it just before bed.
Review of Maggie Moore(s)
