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The film that isn't all there
"The Man Who Wasn't There" is another sharply written, crisply shot, pleasurably eccentric and yet slightly bloodless outing with the Coen Brothers.
By DAVID N. BUTTERWORTH
Offoffoff.com
"The Man Who Wasn't There" is another quirky, intelligent, beautifully
photographed and finely crafted movie from the Brothers Coen (Joel
directs, Ethan produces, and the two of them continue to write some of the
smartest dialogue you're ever likely to hear this side of the Adirondacks).
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| THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE |
Directed by: Joel Coen.
Written by: Joel and Ethan Coen.
Cast: Billy Bob Thornton, Frances McDormand, James Gandolfini, Michael Badalucco, Katherine Borowitz, Jon Polito, Scarlett Johansson, Richard Jenkins, Tony Shalhoub..
Cinematography: Roger Deakins.
Related links:
Official site
| All of David N. Butterworth's reviews at Rotten Tomatoes
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It's a film noir shot in crisp black and white (stunningly so by Coen
mainstay Roger Deakins) and brimming with trademark noir characters: a
small-town barber (Billy Bob Thornton) who stoops to small-time blackmail
in order to get ahead; his cheating wife (Frances McDormand), who's cooking
the books and then some with her boss, Big Dave Brewster (James
Gandolfini); an oily con man (Jon Polito); the town sot (Richard Jenkins)
and his talented teenage daughter (Scarlett Johansson); and a fast-talking
Sacramento lawyer (an energetic Tony Shalhoub, fresh from "Thirteen
Ghosts") who flies into town to defend the barber, now on a murder rap.
However, like the Coens' last film "O Brother, Where Art Thou," "The Man Who Wasn't There" suffers from a distinct coldness around the heart.
The film, while slick, professional, and well acted, feels more like a
cinematic exercise ("let's do a b/w noir this time") than a completely
satisfying movie. The whole sub-plot with Johansson's character, for
example, doesn't really work and the writing, while typical of the Coens'
uniquely diverting style, never really touches on brilliant (the way "Blood
Simple" or "Raising Arizona," say, did).
But the photography is so sharp, so compelling, that you want to reach out and frame just about every other close-up of Thornton, a cigarette
permanently affixed to his bottom lip. This chameleon-like actor (think of
Eric Roberts' early work) plays Ed Crane with a vacancy as monotone as his
voiceover. It's a fine performance if incredibly one-note.
"One note" is probably the best way to describe the sum of the parts of "The Man Who Wasn't There." It's good, but from these boys we've long since
come to expect great.
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NOVEMBER 23, 2001
OFFOFFOFF.COM • THE GUIDE TO ALTERNATIVE NEW YORK
Reader comments on The Man Who Wasn't There:
Coens from Blake McDonald, May 10, 2002
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