Rating: 
Summary: Lotsa style points, not quite so much for plot
Review: I recently saw "Mulholland Drive" for the first time, and that picture was the first one where I concluded that style could carry a film, even one with not that much plot. "The Man Who Wasn't There", while not as good as "Mulholland" enters into this territory, and succeeds almost as well. I mean, would I have enjoyed this picture if it were in color? If it didn't take great care with the placement of light and shadow? If it didn't focus on the face of Billy Bob Thornton, almost always deadpan, almost always with a cigarette in his mouth? Probably not. While there is more plot to this one than "Mulholland", and it's ok, it is the style of the movie, wonderfully crafted by the Coen brothers, that make it worth repeated viewings. Take the cigarette smoke as an example. Cigarettes are such a staple of 1940's films that they are almost an appendage of the actors, male and female. The lead in this movie smokes basically when he's awake. There's one fascinating scene in the movie, when a teenage girl he's trying to move in one says there's no smoking in her bedroom. Why he's in the bedroom is not as interesting as the look on his face when told he couldn't smoke. It's the reaction of somebody so unprepared for what these days is such a common occurrence that it's almost worth seeing for that moment alone. That scene aside though, it is the part with the teenage girl, portrayed dreamily by Scarlett Johansson. His attempted involvement with her has almost nothing to do with the main plot, which consists of blackmail and killing. I suppose they threw it in to show how deadpan and dreary his personality is even on the brink of actually succeeding with her, but it does make the movie a bit long. Maybe you just need to have pretty girls in a movie these days to sell tickets, so I guess I'll consider these scenes commercials to lighten up what is otherwise a dark, but very watchable movie.
Rating: 
Summary: Boring and a disappointment.
Review: This was one of Billy Bob Thornton's three major releases during the fall of 2001, the others being "Bandits" and "Monster's Ball." Though many touted his performance as a quiet, cuckolded barber looking for a break as brilliant, I couldn't tell the difference between acting bored and boring acting. Thornton's the best thing about this movie, but that's because I thought the movie was an uninspired dud. Frances McDormand and James Gandolfini are on screen far too little, and her character's given little to do. The twisty plot isn't really all that twisty, for you can see the consequences coming a mile away. Knowing it's a film noir homage, as well, you're clued in to the fact that none of this is going to end well. Beautifully photographed in black-and-white, the film is unbearably tedious, particularly its third act with Tony Shalhoub's performance as a smarmy lawyer injecting the story of the film with much-needed energy and narrative color.
Rating:
Summary: Not Billy Bob's finest hour
Review: The Coen brothers have made some great movies. This one is worth watching, it just isn't close to "Fargo", or "Oh Brother.."
Rating: 
Summary: Billy Bob At His Best!!!!!!!!!
Review: Billy Bob Thornton is quite simply a force to be reckoned with. He has not actually received his due since "Sling Blade" but his performances since then have been nuanced as well as a key element of the project he happened to be a part of at the time;(Okay, so I have fallen in love with Billy Bob!!) this was never more evvident than the spine-tingling performances of his and Halle's in "Monster's Ball." In this project, another Coen Brothers classic, he is so low-key, he is scary, so much so that he becomes the ultimate personification of the phrase "Still waters run deep." The movie is a murder mystery shot in black and white with enough twists and turns to keep you totally interested. Frances McDormand, another artist who is sorely underappreciated, is fabulous as usual as the unfaithful wife who is mistakenly accused of Billy Bob's own indiscretion. Without giving away too much of the plot, this is another gem from the Coen Brothers that is worth viewing over and over again.
Rating: 
Summary: Kinda Bored, man.
Review: I think Billy Bob Thornton should get himself out of this kind cliche so-called Noir movie ASAP. Because this kind movie would gradually ruin his acting career. All these kind movies, what he could only do in them are: wrinkled his eyebrows, chain smoking, deadbeat trance, empty eyesight, sitting or walking around like having taken too many sleeping pills. This is a very pretentious movie that trying very hard to be looked cool but only fell short to be bored and washup. High praises are totally not necessary unless you want to prove to yourself that the money you wasted on this pathetic boring movie was wisely spent. Have mercy on us, Thornton, get some better and more active scripts before signing up.
Rating: 
Summary: The Movie that shouldn't have been there
Review: It's not often, that my husband and I just look at each other and ask, "Are you enjoying this???" But this was one of those times. We didn't get past him saying he wanted to get into the dry cleaning business. Just a little too Noir for me. But, if you're the type that because the movie is slow, dark and seems like it must be art, then watch away and gush on like the rest of these folks that obviously saw something in this movie that we did not.
Rating:
Summary: A Movie That Needs to Be Seen
Review: In their last film effort, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, the Coen brothers were all about their characters outward flair and color; however, their follow-up, The Man Who Wasn't There, finds them in exact contrast where our protagonist is as bland and quiet as imaginable. The odd thing is that I found this colorless one that much more intriguing and interesting, which is a credit to Billy Bob Thorton who plays Ed Crane, a down to earth barber in the 40s who would like nothing more than to have nothing at all happen to him. Ed's almost so unexceptional that people he sees regularly often forget his name and position in the world if he's seen without his barber's smock. Ed Crane works as a barber with his brother-in-law (Michael Badalucco) and it's nothing fancy, but Ed doesn't mind it. His wife Doris (Frances McDormand) is a bit more vibrant. Ed suspects she may be having an affair with her boss (James Gandolfini). Ed's not the kind of guy to seek out revenge, but when an opportunity presents itself he hatches a blackmail plan. As you would expect, complications arise but Ed seems to get through them without harm as seemingly everyone around him does not. Thorton steals every scene he's in and we're able to unravel the mystery that is Ed Crane through the look on his face, depending on which stage of bleakness it is in, and through the dry narrative that Thorton has throughout. He's often seen standing in the corner smoking a cigarette doing his best to be invisible that we're soon sucked into Ed's tragic demeanor and can't help but feel for him. The outstanding cinematography helps set the mood of mystery and the fact that it's a black and white picture brings to mind film noir pictures of yesteryear. The stylized set design is thoroughly crafted and gives the picture that extra authenticity it deserves. The Man Who Wasn't There is funny, but hardly laugh out loud funny. It's humor is subtle and disguised. The fact that it is that way could probably turn as may people off from the picture as it does on. It's typical Coen quirkiness, but they're still able to channel some freshness into it.
Rating:
Summary: The Coen brothers do it again
Review: Other than the Coen brothers, I can't think of any writer/directors who have assembled a body of work that consists of essentially all gems and no duds in the bunch (well, maybe the Big Lebowski, but even that one is not really bad). In this movie, the streak continues. This is pure film noir, a well-filmed black-and-a-white crime movie the way they used to be made. Actually, like most things from the good-old-days, the memory is better than the reality: this movie is actually better than most of those old films. Billy Bob Thorton plays a laconic barber who lives a completely mundane life. An investment opportunity allows him to break out of his rut, but to get the funds, he needs to resort to blackmail. Like all the great noir movies, a small crime starts a series of events that get out of control and put the hero in a graver and graver position. Along the way, the Coens throw in the appropriate twists and make the movie almost flawless. There are some amusing moments, but this is definitely not a comedy. Thorton, in particular, does a great job, but the rest of the cast (including a number of Coen brothers regulars, such as Frances McDormand) is also quite good. The actual violence is relatively limited, and in fact, only in a couple ways is the subject matter more intense than something you'd see in a '50s noir flick. Thus, if you like classic mystery movies, you cannot go wrong with this one.
Rating:
Summary: Unique film with very strong characters
Review: There's two compelling reasons to watch this film: the cinematography and the performace of Billy Bob Thorton as Ed Crane. Both are outstanding. Thorton brings Ed Crane, a small town barber, to life. This isn't a small task, as the script makes Crane into a man-of-few-words. The other characters are equally as compelling, but it will be Ed Crane that you'll carry with you after the movie is long gone. The film is shot in black-and-white and gives you the feel of the great movies of the 1940s. The lighting on the characters is used with great effect, something that really makes the movie but isn't easily noticed. If you are a movie buff, you will appreciate watching it a second time in order to understand how the light and shadows were used to give effect. It is refreshing to see a film that stands up well on the basis of great acting and cinematography, rather than special effects and plot twists.
Rating:
Summary: A very fine film.
Review: The Coen Brothers return to the same form of "Blood Simple," in this noirish tale of murder and deceit. Thornton is perfectly understated, playing off the more emotional characters in this tightly crafted film. "The Man Who Wasn't There" stumbles a bit at times, but doesn't fall. The Coen Brothers wove a lot of interesting themes into this film. It is the type of film you can enjoy disecting, but best to watch it the first time through with a clear head, taking in the remarkably subtle performances of the fine actors.
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