The Man Who Wasn't There

Rating:
Summary: Hypnotic, but doesn't hang together like the Coens' best
Review: Like many of the Coen brothers' movies, this one is a weird combination of homage, parody, and actual noir. (It could have benefited from more noir and less art-house, as far as the funereal pace and music go.) The story of a small-town barber who falls into a murder, beats the rap, but then, in POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE style, faces justice for someone else's crime, it's beautifully photographed, directed, acted. There are many good lines and the Coens' patented undercurrent of extremely deadpan humor. You can't take your eyes away from it, and I'll give it four stars for being so much more interesting than most movies . . . but if I rated it for real satisfaction, it would be more like three.

Somehow this one just doesn't hang together like the Coens' best. For one thing, their usually infallible sense of period isn't firing on all eight cylinders this time. A business hustler *might* call himself an entrepeneur in 1949, the word existed, but it sounds '80s, and the same character's "cash flow" sticks out even worse. And yes, there was a great--in some ways the first great--flying saucer flap in the late '40s; but the movie fails to capture the actual feel of that flap. The widow's alien abduction story feels like something from a few decades later (she doesn't even use the word "saucer"), and I don't believe there was a long story on Roswell in LIFE circa '49; Roswell was a one-week wonder when it happened and only became a legend much later, you could scour the UFO literature from 1950 to 1975 without coming across a mention of it. Nor do the saucers really fit into this story thematically. Tony Shaloub's Heisenberg Uncertainty defense, though funny, also seems a little out of place; something you wouldn't try on an American jury until after the '60s.

And the setting is everything. So much effort is put into making it 1949, and when 1949 keeps failing to come across, something is lost. If you like the Coen brothers, you'll still enjoy watching this; I did. But it's not among their best.

p.s. Another reviewer here is mistaken in thinking the brothers haven't used Shaloub before; he has a wonderful bit in BARTON FINK.

Rating:
Summary: Great Acting & Loved the black & white
Review: This is not one of The Coen Brothers best movie. The cast definitely makes this film work. Billy Bob Thornton, Frances McDormand and James Gandolfini are great. I felt the film was a little long and dragged on in some parts, but overall it kept me interested to see what would happen in the end.

Rating:
Summary: the Cohen brothers do it again
Review: man what is it going to take to stop these guys? they just keep putting out more and more good stuff. i actually didnt like fargo as much as i did their other greats, Raising Arizona--a classic--O Brother Where Art Thou?--also a classic--and now The Man Who Wasn't There. it is beautifully filmed and has wonderful acting in it. there are many funny lines, as usual with the cohen brothers, and they skillfully manage to create a film noir similar to those in the 40s. the plot is also intricate, weaving nicely to create a gem in the end.

...

Rating:
Summary: Coen Brothers "Noir"
Review: In 1984, brothers Joel and Ethan Coen established themselves as filmmakers with their debut film, "Blood Simple," a noirish thriller that heralded a new and unique voice among the denizens of the cinematic world. Since then, the Coen Brothers have crafted and delivered a number of memorable films, featuring eclectic storylines and diverse characters, all of which have something to say about who we are and what makes us tick; all of the things that make the world go 'round. Whatever the subject matter, at their core their films are all examinations of the human condition; character studies that illuminate the infinitesimal possibilities wrought by that thing we know as human nature. Whether it's through the ruminations of the Dude in "The Big Lebowski," or the musings of a pomade wearing escaped convict in "O Brother Where Art Thou?," the Coen's films are insightful, as well as entertaining, and always unique. When you walk into a Coen Brothers film, you never know what you're going to get, but you can bet it's going to be an experience. And "The Man Who Wasn't There," directed by Joel Coen, and starring Billy Bob Thornton and Frances McDormand, is no exception. In it, they revisit the "noir" territory of their first film, while contemplating the suggestion that there are things in life that just may be predestined; fate may provide a choice of paths to traverse, but in the end, they all seemingly lead to the same place.

It's 1949, in a quiet town in California; a place that suits Ed Crane (Thornton) just fine. Quiet and unassuming, Ed is the second-chair barber in a small shop owned by his brother-in-law and first-chair barber, Frank (Michael Badalucco). Unlike most barbers, Ed doesn't like to talk. He just likes to cut the hair. Which works out fine, because Frank talks enough for them both. Ed suspects that his wife, Doris (McDormand), among other things, likes to drink a bit too much; he also suspects that she may be having an affair with her boss, department store owner "Big Dave" Brewster (James Gandolfini). But Ed's not one to get too worked up. Over anything. In his quiet and unassuming way, he's an observer; a watcher of the life being lived around him. Which pretty much suits him just fine. Almost.

Ed goes along, cutting hair and watching; sometimes wondering. About his wife; about life; about what it means to just blend in. And then something happens that momentarily shakes him loose of his cocoon: A salesman, Creighton Tolliver (Jon Polito) blows into town with nothing to sell but an idea; but it's an idea for a revolutionary new concept that will make him-- along with the right investor-- rich. And Ed is interested. Because all he'll have to do is invest, let Tolliver do the work, and he can just...blend in. It's the perfect plan, but like all perfect plans there's a flaw, beginning with the fact that Ed doesn't have the money to invest. But through a lifetime of watching, Ed has learned a thing or two; and now, he has a plan of his own. A plan that once put into play will trigger a chain of convoluted events beyond anything he could ever have possibly imagined. And before it's over, Ed will understand what the guy meant when he said something about "best laid plans." Because his best laid plans are about to change his life forever. And not necessarily for the good.

With an approach that is every bit as quiet and unassuming as their protagonist, producer Ethan and director Joel deliver their most subtle film yet. The story (which the Coen's also wrote themselves) perfectly captures the era in which it is set, and is fraught with the unexpected. The Coen's weave a web of twists and turns that are almost nonchalantly intricate, and rarely take you where you think you're going. As in real life, things happen-- the import of which is often not realized until after the fact, and then, only after the next event-- prompted by the first-- occurs. And as the film has a somewhat mesmerizing quality to it-- aided in no small part by the brilliant B&W cinematography by Roger Deakens-- it is later, upon reflection and after having had a chance to thoroughly digest the events you've witnessed, that you will feel the real impact of it all. And it's then, most probably in a quiet and unassuming way, that you will say to yourself, "Wow--" The Coen Brothers are gifted storytellers and filmmakers, they know what they want to say, and moreover, know exactly how to get it across to their audience.

All of what the Coens bring to the table makes for a good movie, but in this case, the single element that takes it beyond "good" to "truly inspired," is the performance by Billy Bob Thornton as Ed. In one performance after another, in film after film-- beginning with his dynamic portrayal of Karl in "Sling Blade"-- Thornton has veritably created a category of actor unique unto himself, that of Leading Man/Character Actor. Like no other actor, he has the ability to truly transform himself with every new role, so thoroughly that not a trace of himself remains. And each character he creates is totally new, physically as well as psychologically; it's as if Thornton is the product of some kind of artistic schizophrenic existence that enables him to become just about anyone he chooses. It's a rare talent, and as he demonstrates-- again-- with his portrayal here of Ed, it's a talent he uses wisely, and most effectively. And it makes you wonder if there is, in fact, a REAL Billy Bob Thornton. He is truly, one amazing actor.

The supporting cast includes Scarlett Johansson (Birdy), Richard Jenkins (Walter), Katherine Borowitz (Ann) and Tony Shalhoub (Riedenschneider). Thought provoking and transporting, "The Man Who Wasn't There," reaffirms the unique genius that "is" The Coen Brothers.

Rating:
Summary: Eyegasam! A movie for the eye's and mind...
Review: When watching this movie for the first time, you can't help but notice that the lead character hardly says a word on screen. He just sit's in the shadows causally smoking a cigarette in every scene. But despite this seemingly boring set-up, the Choen brothers can make even the simplest of normal human actions completly amazing on screen. In fact there isn't a scene in "The Man Who Wasn't There" that isn't simply incrediable just by the way it's filmed. The plot, about a barber who decides he's had enough of his normal life, play's something out of a Hitchcock flick. The film is in black and white and it couldn't be half as effective any other way. Nor do you want it to be. The shadows play a charcter themselves as they bounce in and out of every scene, causing darkness to fall on even the most pure charcters in the film. (hint-hint)It almost makes you long for the black and white movie genre again. The movie is dark, but it's also a little light in some places. In there last film "O'Brother Where Art' Thou" The comedy was ever present. In this film you really have to pay attention to laugh.
This movie not only will tickle your funny bone, and intrigue you, it will leave your eyes saying....wow!

Rating:
Summary: Stylish Nonsense
Review: Well, well, well. Here we are with another Coen Brother's film. Joy. If you've seen any of their films, you pretty much know what to expect. Sure enough, this one holds true to form.

Let's start with the theme. In fact, just for fun, let's play a little guessing game. I'll give you four choices, you guess the theme:

a. The perseverance of the human spirit in the face of extraordinary adversity.
b. The power of love as a means of transforming human beings.
c. The power that each of us has to selflessly act in ways that benefit those around us.
d. The emptiness, meaninglessness and futility of contemporary American society.

Come on. You can do it. Take a wild stab in the dark.

Good. We've cleared that up. Except for one problem: the theme isn't developed. To be developed, we would have to know how the goals and desires of The Man Who Wasn't There were thwarted, or deadened, by this meaningless American society. Are they? Well, we don't know. We don't know because we really don't know a thing about this Man, other than that he doesn't think of himself as a barber, and that he is stuck in a loveless, passionless marriage. We know nothing of his past, though he obviously had one--he's easily 45 years old--and he acts and walks around like some kind of a zombie; indeed, like nobody we've ever met. He is a straw man. Created for the sole purpose of attempting to make, for the zillionth time, a hackneyed point.

Then there is the society that the Coen brothers have chosen to place their character: America, of course, specifically Santa Rosa, CA, in 1949. Here is what we are supposed to believe life in little Santa Rosa was like in 1949. Downtown looks like New York City, or at least San Francisco, with multi-story buildings, and hundreds of people walking around. The barber, the "man who wasn't there," does not like to talk to his customers. Let me repeat this: he takes a job in a barbershop--during these times the informal clearing-house for information and male camaraderie--and does not like to talk to his customers. The manager of a department store, once again in tiny little Santa Rosa, nevertheless has a huge, beautiful office, that looks like it belongs in the 1989 Transamerica Pyramid. The department store itself is loaded with neon, and for a Christmas party is made to look like a Las Vegas ballroom. The wife of the murder victim expresses an opinion to the central character that she believes her husband was abducted then killed by aliens. Outer-space aliens. In space ships. In 1949. A teenaged girl, in order to express her appreciation for our hero--in his forties, remember--attempts to gratify him orally in broad daylight and while he is driving an automobile. America. 1949. I could go on.

In other words, the society that has been created for this film never existed. We have an unbelievable character living in a non-existent society. So much for a meaningful theme.

Next is the plot. The film is obviously in the style of a film-noir, and it is made by the Coen brothers, so of course you must expect there is going to be murder and blackmail and other such goings-on. But the actions of the characters make no sense. What was the central character's motivation for setting this chain of events in motion in the first place? Sure, he's bored out of his mind, but when hasn't he been? What's changed? Why would he decide to invest money on a dopey scheme and with a person whose personal habits he finds so distasteful? Why would he so nonchalantly go to the manager's office, knowing what he might be confronted with?

The plot also hinges on the police taking actions--arresting certain people for certain things--that are patently absurd. I don't want to give anything away, but for the first arrest, there is no evidence and no motive. It's mind-boggingly inane. Are we really expected to accept all of this on faith?

And as in all Coen brother's movies, there are many characters here who are ludicrously and cartoonishly drawn. The police detectives, for example, are right out of a comic book, the brother-in-law is often buffoonish, and the lawyer is a way over-the-top, amoral, Johnnie Cochrane type, even going so far as to use a nursery-type rhyme to make a point.

This is also what we've come to expect from the Coen brothers. It is almost as if they are afraid to take their films too seriously, fearing perhaps that they would open themselves up to criticism. By throwing in these loony characters, they can always pretend they were going for dark, impenetrable humor or something, and say to their critics that they, "just didn't get it." Well, I get it. I get that they are morbidly afraid to take risks.

It is stylishly filmed, though, in noirish black and white, and in the end we realize that this, after all, is the point. Technique is all: a sensible plot, believable characters, and a provacative theme don't matter. But there is a realistic, gory, brutal murder scene. You can always count on the Coen brothers for a sickening, horrible murder. Woo hoo

Rating:
Summary: What kind of Man are You?
Review: Strange! That's one of the few things I can say for certain about this movie. After leaving the theatre having seen it for the first time I was confused and not sure at all that I had fully got the point. But now after seeing it for the second time I am even more confused and having an even harder time piecing together the story fragments eventually making up the plot. I have this feeling that the more times I watch it the more details are revealed to me and the more confused I get. This paradox is roughly put the key essence of Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle and we are being introduced to this principle at more than one occasion during the movie.

The story takes place in the late nineteen fourties in a rather anonymous Northern California city. The main character Ed Crane (Billy Bob Thornton) is a chain smoking (in most ways mediocre) man of very few words. He works as a barber (2'nd chair) in a barbershop owned by his brother in low and lives a seemingly ordinary life with his wife (Frances McDormand) who is a book-keeper at the city's Nirdlinger's apartment store, and she is having an affair with her boss (the store manager) who happens to be married to the daughter (and heir) of the apartment store owner. One day Ed Crane has a customer who reveals for him his business plan about starting a chain of dry cleaning shops and shares with him his needs for a partner with the proper amount of initial capital. Tired of being an underdog Crane sees in this business proposal an opportunity that could change his life, and knowing about his wife's affair he decides to blackmail her boss in order to raise the required amount of initial capital. From here on things starts to get complicated, nothing goes quite as planned and the story starts taking very unexpected twists and turns.

Filmed in black and white and with Billy Bob Thornton's dry cynical narrative voice bringing the story forward the Coen brothers has succeeded in making an effective modern film noire.

While newcomers to Coen-movies might find this one a little to bizarre for their taste hardcore Coen-fans will get satisfaction for most of their expectations such as: an odd twisting story populated with an abundance of bizarre characters, witty dialogue with a nice 40'ties touch to it and last but not least some very cool clipping techniques focusing on details in the surrounding environment having significant interest seen from a barbers point of view.

But despite all that 'The Man Who Wasn't There' will never be my favourite Coen-movie, the plot isn't interesting enough for that and the story is way too weird to ever get really exciting and one final thing I really regret is the almost total absence of beautiful photography like the kind you'll see in films like 'Miller's Crossing' and 'Fargo'.

Rating:
Summary: They did it again!
Review: You got to hand it to the Coen brothers, they're back with a film with twists unlike anything you've seen for awhile. Produced in B/W and set sometime inthe 1940s, Billy Bob Thornton plays a barber, who uses blackmail to escape his dull life. But in the tradition of the Coens, the movie takes a life of its own. When Thornton's plan fails, strange occurrences will keep your interest and delight long after the film has ended. Another Coen brothers film for you to enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: One of the Coen's best
Review: Next to Miller's Crossing and Fargo, The Man Who Wasn't There is one of the best Coen Brothers Films ever. It's small and simple yet ingeniously complex. Completely Coen through and through. It's a joy to watch over and over again as much for the story as for the incredible perfomances from Thornton and McDormand and the exquisite cinematography. No true Coen fan can go without this one.

Rating:
Summary: it's got one problem.....it's incredibly boring.
Review: this has a "Coen Brothers" movie written all over it. great acting, cinematography and great dialogue, but with only one problem, it is boring as hell!! At two hours long it just plods along putting the viewer to sleep. By far, it is better than most movies that Hollywood puts out, but compared to other Coen Brother masterpieces like Raizing Arizona and Miller's Crossing, this is a disappointment.