Rating: 
Summary: "I don't talk much, I just cut the hair." A Great Film Noir
Review: If you want to see a true film noir, the Coen Brothers' new film, "The Man Wasn't There," is an excellent example. It's dark, slow, depressing, and overall surprising and unpredictable.This is the story about an ordinary man; a barber at that. He doesn't talk much, he just cuts the hair, as he says in the opening credits. His life is starting to get to him, thinking it's dull and unfulfilling. He gets dragged into a scheme that involves ransom and blackmail. But as with any other film noir, things quickly steer out of control and everything that thought could never go wrong does. The acting was really good in this. Billy Bob does a great job as playing the very mono-toned barber. The directing and storywriting was also good. There are some subtle humor in this that catches you off guard; of course in the Coen Brother tradition. One of my favorite characters was the brother barber who could never keep his mouth shut. A word of warning: Since this is a film noir, the pace is very, VERY slow. However, that's the whole purpose of the movie. If you cannot stomach movies that are slow and don't get to the point within the first ten minutes, maybe you should see something else. You will HATE this movie if you cannot stand a slow paced movie. I haven't had the chance yet, but from looking on the back cover, this DVD is loaded with speical features. I will be sure to check them out when I get the chance. Some of the features are a trailer for the movie, comentary, making of feature and more. Overall, I really did like this movie, but I cannot give it five stars because this is not a movie I would like to see it over and over again. I would like to see it again, just not a lot. That is the drawback of film noir. I don't think this is the Coehn Brothers' best film. I still say it's a tie between "Fargo" and "The Big Lebowski." I did like this movie and it did keep my attention the entire time, despite the slow pace. A very haunting and clever film noir with a dark and eerie feel to it.
Rating:
Summary: Step Into The 50's
Review: Ah, the unreliable narrator. Like a Henry James novel, only carried along with greater vigor, The Man Who Wasn't There tells a story you grow increasingly unsure of, and in the end the audience is left with its own version of events that isn't told on the screen. Another Coen brothers film that is well worth seeing, although it is too soon for me to tell if this will turn into a classic. Perhaps a few more viewings will make up my mind. Best Coen film since Fargo, btw.
Rating: 
Summary: The Plot That Wasn't There
Review: ... THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE is a rare misfire by the Coen Brothers, normally bankable if not cult filmmakers whose concentration has always been more on characters telling the story than having the story tell itself. Here, they fall back on the cliched technique, however, of having the narrator -- Ed Crane, played with dictionary examples of 'subtlety' by Billy Bob Thornton -- actually walk the audience through the events with narration. While some of it is classic Coen hackney, much of it has the feel of writers trying to 'produce' Coenesque dialogue. The story is simple: Crane discovers that his wife (Frances McDormand, receiving sparingly little screen time) is having an affair with the husband (James Gandolfini) of the local millionaire, and he blackmails the man for money to invest in a dry cleaning enterprise. However, as is the case in many Coen films, the motivations of ALL characters are suspect as the dry cleaning enterprise 'appears' to be a fraud, the husband ends up murdered, and Mrs. Crane commits suicide (???) over her inability to deal with ... well, the script never truly says. As always, the characters are very strong here, given believable small-town nuances, and the principls latch onto what hints the script provides, giving some wonderful performances. However, after the first hour, the plot falls flat, giving Ed very little to do other than explore his personal obsession with a talented pianist ... a far less interesting premise that, unfortunately, goes nowhere fast. Indeed, a rare misfire by the Coen Brothers.
Rating: 
Summary: Philosophy ala Coens!
Review: First, let me say, I am VERY discerning about what DVDs make it in to my DVD collection - this one makes it as the Coens BEST, so far! Second, I will tell you that due, in main part, to the negative reviews on amazon.com regarding this movie, I decided NOT to see it in the theatre (and pay the outrageous prices) even though I am a big fan of the Coen brothers, I HATE going to the theatre where usually, ONLY a Coen brothers movie could make me leave the comfort of my home and deal with the BLABBERs, being held hostage for, AT LEAST, 10 movie previews that insist on divulging as much of the movie as possible, the ear shattering sound systems (which, even in real life, would NEVER be that loud), the babies crying (at R rated movies) and... well... you get the picture. I'm renting this movie and have watched it twice, so far. I was in awe of the look and SMART dialog right from the start.
I am slowly becoming a Billy Bob fan (although I did not like him in Pushing Tin) and have not seen Slingblade (although, I probably will now). I did see him in "A Simple Plan" and thought his artistry in understating the character was on par with ANY of the great actors (now, or yesterday).
In "The Man Who Wasn't There", he is riveting! But credit MUST also be given to the screenplay and direction of the Coens.
Again, Billy Bob uses his talent in understating the character to the point of it becoming the meditations of a being, on another plane of existence, who just happens to be stuck, physically, in this reality (hence, the name: The Man Who Wasn't There). He makes it look so easy and, because of that, he will probably be ignored for a Best Actor Oscar. Hats off to the BRILLIANT cinematographer, Roger Deakins.
I have not yet watched the "Man Who Wasn't There" directors commentary or any of the Special Features, but I had read, previously, that they actually filmed this movie in color and then took it to black and white. Well... I can tell you that this is one of most PERFECT black&white films ever produced (and I am comparing the cinematography, choice of angles (the directors) and lighting to the likes of Citizen Kane and The Third Man. In one word, "DAZZLING!". I have come to expect the most intelligent and thought provoking dialog in today's films from the Coen brothers and they did NOT disappoint me. Ethan, is a Philosophy major, and you can tell when watching any Coen interviews that Joel's thought is also right in line with Ethan's.
Just about every movie the Coens have made so far, excepting, maybe, Millers Crossing which is an extremely well done gangster movie, is steeped in philosophical commentary. The Coens translate philosophy visually and restate it via their screen plays (much as Shakespeare has done). They ALWAYS test the boundaries. This film has been called "existential" in nature, by the Coens themselves:
as defined in the Merriam-Webster dictionary:
"Date: 1941
: a chiefly 20th century philosophical movement embracing diverse doctrines but centering on analysis of individual existence in an unfathomable universe and the plight of the individual who must assume ultimate responsibility for his acts of free will without any certain knowledge of what is right or wrong or good or bad " The -PLOT- of the film exists ONLY as a vehicle to calm the viewers that need and depend heavily upon a grounded reality as in "Whah?, it's a murder movie?... okay...". Many people have a problem with this movie for much the same reasons as they do with David Lynch's "Mulholland Drive" - Lynch does NOT explain ANY of the goings-on and, as a result, some people feel they are being intellectually snubbed, or they work themselves into a frenzy because all the scenes do not tie up into a nice rational bow at the end. In the simple, yet utterly repulsive, parlance of today:
THEY SEEK CLOSURE - and they DON'T get it. Silencio! This is a great movie because unlike 99.999% of most movies it
TRANSCENDS BEYOND IT'S OWN ORIGNAL INTENTIONS. So, seek out that Shamus (you mean like, an Irish Monk?). You may ask, "Why me?" - the reply: "Because YOU DON'T LISTEN!". Really, I'm just tryin t'cooperate here. I've said my piece and counted to three! Just remember not to say anything ahdah line.
What's ahdah line? EVERYTHING!
You keep yer trap shut! You're just a barber.
You don't know nuthin! Want some fruit cocktail? And "No... I'm not tryin t'give ya the high hat!" If ya don't enjoy this movie... well... ya just might be dumber'n a bag'a hammers. And now, you must excuse me, because I want to watch "The Man Who Wasn't There" one more time before I have to take it back, and, I gotta make some eggs for Margie and finish my Mallard painting.
Rating:
Summary: The darker side of Coen's
Review: I am a huge fan of the Coen brothers and throughly enjoyed this dark side of their nature. Their humor in a very simple glance or expression is priceless. This story, athough darker than most of their stories, moves effortlessly through this barbers dull ordinary life with a 50's style film noir that is most enjoyable for richness of character study. With any story of this nature not everyone is going to enjoy how they get to ending and walk away with a warm fuzzing feeling about these people. I personlly had to watch it a second time to really appreciate the fullness of the story. However, I can't help but enjoy the velvetity look of this black and white film and the hypnotic narration from the barber explaining his story. This is not the best the Coen's have to offer but a must to appreciate their style and deep feeling for film. Their body of work is, to me, one of the best the film industry has to offer.
Rating:
Summary: Citizen Crane
Review: This is an extremely powerful, emotional film that stays with you. It's worth watching just for the beautifully composed b&w cinematography. But all the elements come together wonderfully. If there is any "message" to this film, what I got from it is that modern man is basically at the mercy of forces and institutions beyond his comprehension. A certain amount of control over your life has already been given up when you are born. Trying to escape this setup will only lead to misery and your downfall. Depressing, but perhaps true.
Rating:
Summary: Snickering contempt?
Review: The knock on the Coen Brothers is that they have snickering contempt for their beaten-down characters. And I didn't believe it, really, until I watched them snickering in contempt at Billy Bob Thornton's barber "Ed Crane" on the DVD. It doesn't matter. Thornton gives the performance of a lifetime here. Listen closely, and you can hear him puffing on a cigarette in narration.
Rating:
Summary: Directors' Commentary Track
Review: Yet another disappointing commentary, it sounds more like a laugh track to a TV sit-com. The directors should prepare; I suggest they listen to John Sayles' commentary on the "Limbo" DVD or Steve Buscemi on "Tres Lounge" for models on what a commentary track should be instead of just winging it. I wanted to hear a serious discussion (inside gossip is also okay), not a lot of goofy laughter. I cut out after about thirty minutes; it was a frustrating and irritating thirty minutes.
Rating:
Summary: Coen Brothers Do It Again
Review: You never know what to expect from the Coen brothers. I guess that's what we like about them. I sure never expected a black and white film about a barber in 1949 California to be anything special...but it is. Billy Bob Thornton, in one of his finest performances, plays Ed Crane, a quiet, almost ghost-like barber who is married to a woman (Frances McDormand) who barely communicates with him. The problem is, she communicates a little too well with another man who is not her husband. What appears to be a very simple story takes off in several different directions through the course of the film and all of them are interesting and intriguing. 'The Man Who Wasn't There' is a great example of "They don't make 'em like that anymore" filmmaking. The film noir feel is absolutely on target with wonderful cinematography, great period sets and costumes, and superb acting. Thornton's Ed Crane is one of those movie characters that I believe will find himself in the "unforgettable" category along with Nicholson's McMurphy (from 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest') and Hopkins's Hannibal Lecter. When the film is over, the viewer is left to think about a lot of things. Some of the questions the viewer may have are answered in the commentary with the Coen Brothers and Billy Bob Thornton, but most of them are left to the viewer to decipher. All of the scenes work for me, except for one which happens during a car ride. It's too bad this film wasn't seriously considered for Oscar contention. It wouldn't have been a "safe bet" like 'A Beautiful Mind' turned out to be, but it would have caused audiences to think while they're entertained. The Coen Brothers certainly know how to do that.
Rating:
Summary: Another winner from the Coen Brothers
Review: Here's a film that falls into the category of "classic noir," all but perfectly presented by the Brothers who are, in many ways, reinventing the movie. With stunning black-and-white cinematography and splendid performances by Billy Bob Thornton and Frances McDormand (who, arguably, is one of the best actresses anywhere), the voiceover narrative of the unsmiling "hero" of the piece recounts the events leading up to his demise. There is so much to like about this film: its faithful adherence to the exploration of small lives that become enlarged as a result of haphazard circumstance; its beautifully moody lighting and crisp images--where shadow has as much significance as light; and an overall evenness of tone that never for a moment hits a sour note. Thornton, as the never-smiling barber with an acceptable life that is bereft of humor, of love, and of any viable friendship, gives a remarkably controlled performance that is perfectly matched by McDormand's barely contained appetite for love, for humor, for life, for something beyond the inertia of her marriage (to Thornton.) This is a film in which what goes unstated has as much power as what is; it also has what used to be referred to as a "sting in the tail" at the end. Nothing can be anticipated in this film; the brothers exercise such great control over the material that even when the viewer thinks s/he knows what's coming, the surprise is there in the ironic ending. A fine example of top-rate film-making, not to be missed.
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