The Man Who Wasn't There

Rating:
Summary: Stunning Cinematography, Great Acting
Review: Set in the late 40s, this black-and-white film by the Coen Brothers does a masterful job of not only evoking the feeling of the era but of being more of a forties film than those of the time.

Billy Bob Thornton and Frances McDormand are perfectly matched, neither outperforming the other, and the supporting actors are equally good.

The film is a murder mystery, the mystery lying not in who committed the murder, which the viewer witnesses, but in how the various repercussions will play out. Although there is a good deal of violence, it is appropriate, and because of the surreal nature of the story, does not offend. The claasical music soundtrack also soften its impact.

A unique and beautiful film.

Rating:
Summary: Better and better
Review: Actually, I don't know if Coen Brothers films are getting better--it's a matter of taste. But since Fargo, I'd say they've mastered the presentation. This is an excellent film: hilarious, beautiful, very polished, but of course wicked and off-kilter in many pleasuring ways. The B&W cinematography is out of this world. Ed Crane is the man. I'll spare you the plot summary, because I am no knucklehead.

Rating:
Summary: Black and White
Review: The Coen Brothers are at it again with "The Man Who Wasn't There", a film noir throwback to the 50's? black and white crime drama. This movie demands your attention, so if you have the attention span of a 2 year old whiney brat, this isn't for you. The movie looks great and the acting and storyline are incredible. Sit back and let this film take you to a forgotten place in history. Where crime was romantic and love was worth dying for.

Rating:
Summary: Story of a man who gets entangled in a web of his own making
Review: I had never heard of this 2001. And yet it won a academy award for its cinematography and was nominated for several others. It's not the kind of film that gets big box office receipts. It's a small character-driven film that goes deeply beneath the surface. And the kind of film that actors are proud to have worked in.

Written and directed by the Coen Brothers, it's set in small town in 1949 and photographed in black and white. Billy Bob Thornton works as a local barber. He's a quiet man who is content to just do his job. He's married to Frances McDormand, who's wears lots of makeup and drinks hard. She's employed as a bookkeeper in the local department store that is rapidly expanding. Her boss is a loud-mouthed braggart, played by James Gandolfini, with whom she is having an affair. Billy Bob is aware of this.

In an attempt to raise money to go into business for himself, he has a plan. It involves blackmail. But it soon turns to murder. The wrong person is accused. There's a tragedy. And the plot keeps thickening. Another fine actor, Tony Shalhoub, is called in to act as a defense lawyer. More complications ensure. The central character, Billy Bob Thornton, keeps getting wrapped more tightly in a web of his own making. Throughout it all, he keeps is quiet stoic personality. He's "every man" who's ever had a dream and see spin out of control. His dialog is always simple, and yet it is always meaningful. The audience gets to know him on an interior level and it is rare that I've seen such deep character development in a film. This was a film where the slow pace was intentional because it was part of the story. I found it a fine drama and became completely involved in it.

As an added feature on the DVD, there was a long interview with Roger Deakins, who did the cinematography. I learned a lot about the technical aspects of the shooting as well as the choices for some unique and original shots. For example, during a prison scene there is harsh sunlight shining through the bars and washing out the face of the lawyer. He uses silhouettes a lot of dark and light contrasts which all added to the mood of the film.

This was a fine and thoughtful film. I give it one of my highest recommendations.

Rating:
Summary: Quality Entry to Coen Success
Review: I always feel the best part about the Coen brothers is their ability to capture mood. When you watch their movies, you always get a good sense of how the characters are feeling, and how their mood affects the other characters and the environment. This is a very tough thing to do, but the Coen brothers always seem to pull it off. The Man Who Wasn't There is a shining example of this, as it is a film steeped in the light and darkness of the human psyche.

The story of the movie is a fairly familiar one. We have a total loser, played with dour brilliance by Billy Bob Thorton. Thorton's character is a neighborhood barber, who goes about his life with a remarkable amount of conformity. Day in, day out, he lives a very boring life. His wife, played by Francis McDormand, is a successful business woman who drinks to much and cares little for her husband. Her boss, played by the wonderfully Sopranoesque James Gandolfini, is a boisterous go getter who is probably having an affair with Thortons wife. But Thorton just rolls with the punches. That is, until he identifies a new business opportunity. Suddenly emboldened to stick up for himself, Thorton commits a series of shocking crimes that quickly culminate into a real disaster for him and his wife.

The shooting and atmosphere of this movie is great, with black and white shading used to give this small town drama some real noir feeling. There are some great shots that use the nostalgic small town aura of 50's America to full extent. The story is very good overall, although I felt the second half of the movie, especially the end, were really detrimental to the rest of the movie.

Another great effort from the Coen brothers.

Rating:
Summary: "Me, I don't talk much . . . I just cut the hair."
Review: The Coen Brothers' ''The Man Who Wasn't There" is a great looking film that starts off with a bang but slowly loses steam as it goes along. It is a homage to classic film noirs of the past that featured a tragic man who is restless with his lot in life, embarks on some activity meant to generate some excitement, and is eventually betrayed by circumstances. Billy Bob Thornton plays a barber named Ed Crane who is the latest cinematic victim in the noir web.

Crane is a man conditioned to accept his routine. There is no variety in his life. Every day is the same as the one before it. He's married to Doris (Frances McDormand), a bookkeeper at the local department store, who contributes little spark to their relationship. She may be having an affair with her boss, Big Dave (James Gandolfini), but it's just a hunch on Crane's end. There's no smoking gun to expose their affair - nothing to break the monotony around him. But then a new business venture catches Crane's ear . . . and everything goes bad from there.

The problem with "The Man Who Wasn't There" is it loses its focus as it moves towards its conclusion. The Freddy Riedenschneider character (Tony Shalhoub) is so broad and animated that he takes too much attention away from the primary characters. Furthermore, the Birdy (Scarlett Johansson) story arc doesn't amount to anything. It comes across more as a distraction than a contribution to the film. And you know things have really gone haywire once that UFO makes its appearance. It's too bad because Thornton is magnificent in his role and the story's twists and turns are wickedly ironic and clever. The film is also a visual treat in its glorious black and white. Yet, "The Man Who Wasn't There" ultimately loses its way after a mesmerizing first half. A great near-miss.

Rating:
Summary: Sooner or later everyone needs a haircut...
Review: This is actually one of very few movies that I purchased PRIOR to ever seeing it. I had good feelings about it. My feelings were right.

This is a wonderful movie about a barber "Ed Crane" (Billy Bob) who lives a very quiet, mediocre life with his wife with whom he has a very shallow relationship. But that's only the beginning. There is so much more depth to Ed Crane and his life that is slowly revealed throughout the movie.

Ed Crane doesn't say much. He doesn't have to. It's obvious his life is less than perfect. Anyway, in the movie Ed Crane is almost invisible. I don't want to give too much away ... you need to see it for yourself. I will say that the movie is very deep and touching ... you won't forget it. Who would suspect the barber... He just cuts the hair. Crane's nonchalant attitude throughout the movie was intriguing to say the least. And the ending is unexpected. But then again, everything in the movie is. It's a mystery ... it's a drama. A dramery. I just made it up. It works.

The *New* black and white, film noir-look of the movie is very cool. They should make more movies that way (film it in color and then change it to black and white). It really made the movie better, I thought. It's definitely hard NOT to watch this movie. It keeps you glued to the screen wondering what will happen next. It's NOT predictable. That's part of it's charm. This was just a very surprising movie in general. I highly recommend it. I don't regret buying it at all. "The Man Who Wasn't There" is different ... in a good way. I wish more movies were like this one.

A movie I suggest if you like this one (w/ great character development): ABOUT SCHMIDT.

Rating:
Summary: a GREAT film
Review: The Coen's did it again. They are about the only filmmakers today who manage to make great movies aside from Hollywood mainstream. "The man who wasn't there" is a great black and white film, 50s style. The acting is terrific, the story is magnificent and the whole thing is just a great film to watch. Such a quiet and deep cinema experience. Film lovers should get this. I was surprised how interesting the movie is and about the ending. Totally nice. After Big Lebowski, O Brother... and Fargo, this is surely one of their best Films.

The DVD is great as well. Although it lacks English subtitles (what dvd producer had that idea?), it has great features. There is a very interesting audio commentary, a good almost hour-long interview with DEakins, some deleted scenes and other stuff. The audio and picture quality is top-notch.

Great. That's how you make a film

Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece.
Review: Have the Cohen brothers ever made a bad film? Never. Each and every one of their films is outstanding and each of the them have somethign new to offer. "The Man Who Wasent There" is pure Film Noir. I cannot imagine seeing this film in color...black and white is the way to go!

Billy Bob is brilliant in this film. He has very few scene specific dialogues, majority of his lines are narrative. Frances McDormand, who plays Billy Bob's wife, also gives a memorable performance. Contradictory to Billy Bob's charactor, who is a lonesome serious man who seems content with letting life pass right by him, McDormand is this sultry schemestress who under bizzarr circumstances gets caught up in dangerous circumstances. James Gandolfini, Tony Shalhoub, Michael Badalucco, Jon Polito and Scarlett Johansson play their parts to perfection as supporting actors.

The plot of this film is not too complex but has great philosophycal depth to it. The story revolves around themes like revenge and bad choices. (I feel this is all you need to know...anything more will ruin it for you). There is an air of surrealism thought the film and the use of light and space is very innovative. The cinematography is par excillence and the movi is a visual treat....think "Blood Simple" in black in white...you will get a fair idea what this masterpiece is all about.

Rating:
Summary: A Beautiful Masterpiece
Review: This is a perfect film. I was amazed when I met a couple who said it was "pretentious". Pretentious? How, pretentious? It is utterly absorbing and fascinating. Fantastic script, superb acting, realistic and surrealistic at the same time. An always surprising yet totally logical plot. The fantasies underpinning drab commercial lives; the underbelly of convention. Something like Blue Velvet, but more subtle, more ingenious, ultimately more shocking. Riveting characters: people you meet in the barbers, the mid-market department store, the small-town lawyer, the local school; and what they're really like. A masterpiece.