The Coen brothers' THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE is a brilliantly photographed black-and-white absurdist noir set in Santa Rosa, California, in 1949. Ed Crane (the outstanding Billy Bob Thornton) is a slow-moving, barely talking barber who doesn't seem to want much out of life. He has virtually no relationship with his wife, Doris (.. Read more
| Starring | Billy Bob Thornton, Frances McDormand, James Gandolfini, Michael Badalucco |
|---|---|
| Director | Joel Coen |
| Genres | Drama |
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The Coen brothers' THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE is a brilliantly photographed black-and-white absurdist noir set in Santa Rosa, California, in 1949. Ed Crane (the outstanding Billy Bob Thornton) is a slow-moving, barely talking barber who doesn't seem to want much out of life. He has virtually no relationship with his wife, Doris (Frances McDormand), who has more fun with her boss, Big Dave (James Gandolfini). But when a strange character (Jon Polito) lets it be known that he's looking for a silent partner to finance his dream business (something he calls dry cleaning), Ed sees a possible way out of his doldrums. Just like any good James M. Cain novel (which the Coens cited as a major influence on the story), blackmail, deceit, violence, murder, and double crossing ensue, all with the magic Coen twists and turns.
THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE looks simply magnificent; the cinematography, the outfits, and the set designs perfectly capture this intriguing post-WWII paranoid world embodied by misfits, cheats, simpletons, con men, and other ne'er-do-wells. Thornton, who also supplies the wonderfully droll narration, gives a bravura performance as Ed, the everyman who has never strayed from the straight and narrow--until now. Always with a Chesterfield in his mouth, he wanders from scene to scene almost as if he's a spectator--even though he's at the center of everything that goes on. The supporting cast, as usual in a Coen brothers film, is outstanding, including McDormand, Gandolfini, Polito, Tony Shalhoub, Richard Jenkins, and Scarlett Johansson as a young potential piano prodigy.
| Starring | Billy Bob Thornton, Frances McDormand, James Gandolfini, Michael Badalucco, Katherine Borowitz, Jon Polito, Richard Jenkins, Christopher McDonald, Tony Shalhoub, Scarlett Johansson, Adam Alexi-Malle |
|---|---|
| Director | Joel Coen |
| Studio | ENTERTAINMENT IN VIDEO |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 51 mins |
| Certificate |  |
| Genres | Drama |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Released | Production year: 2001 To Rent: DVD: 22 Apr 2002 |
"...It's probable that most filmmakers love making movies, but few of them express this love with such voracious, crazy ardor....THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE moves with the stately grace of the Beethoven that decorates the soundtrack..."
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The Clever Coens Twist on Film Noir
First off, the movie is worth a rental for the visuals alone. Cinematographer Roger Deakins out does himself here, using beautiful shades of grey to paint the ... read more »
[Highly rated reviewer]
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Not as good as the rest
I am a big fan of the coen brothers - big lebowski, fargo, raising arizona, oh brother where art thou so I eagerly looked forward to catching this one I missed ... read more »
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A real curio
This film cant make up its mind whether its Raymond Chandler gone existential, or Film Noir suffering - at the end - the ultimate over-exposure. Its the sort of... read more »
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Unbeatable black comedy.
A clever and highly imaginative story, created and directed by the wonderful Coen brothers. Full of unexpected twists and turns, it surprises, amuses and ... read more »
Monster's Ball star Billy Bob Thornton is to appear opposite Shia LaBeouf and Rosario Dawson in a new thriller entitled Eagle Eye. The Hollywood Reporter said today that Thornton, whose credits include Pushing Tin and The Man Who Wasn't There, will star in the movie and be directed by DJ Caruso. Eagle Eye tells the story of a single mother, to be played by Michelle Monaghan, and a young man (LaBeouf) who are blackmailed into joining a terrorist cell. Thornton will play a "patriotic hero&quo Read more
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