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chapter11 [ 9.5 ]
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Joel and Ethan Coen's follow-up to the ubiquitous "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" was a decidedly low-key affair, but "The Man Who Wasn't There" is a worthy addition to the brothers' repertoire. It successfully attempts to re-invent the seemingly lost art of the film noir, drawing its inspiration from 1940s Bogey pictures and Raymond Chandler stories. Billy Bob Thornton's stoic barber, Ed Crane, decides to swindle a couple of adulterers out of $10,000 to further a prospective career in drycleaning. Billy Bob turns in what may be his most effective performance since "Sling Blade," and "The Sopranos"'s James Gandolfini holds his own in the supporting cast next to Coen vet Frances McDormand. The film is shot in gorgeous black and white, evoking the spirit of those old noirs while servicing as a remarkable visual feast to boot. (Modern movies cinematographed in black and white are few and far between, and "The Man Who Wasn't There" ranks right up there with "Pleasantville" for adept use of [lack of] color.) Brilliant.
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kcremer [ 9.0 ]
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One of my favorite Coen brothers movies. I loved the 50's black and white film-noir style. The story was well written, narrated and acted by Billy Bob Thornton, and had some interesting Coenesque twists.
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babyduck [ 5.0 ]
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Totally dug this movie... till the ending.
Wasn't quite sure what that whole Roswell/Flying Saucer motif was supposed to represent either.
And Billy Bob Thornton must have had the easiest job in the world. He didn't need to act at all! All he had to do was sit there in scene after scene and smoke his cig. :)
The atmosphere in the film just kicked ass - black and white was the way to go for this film.
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Corto [ 8.5 ]
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Stylistically great. Kind of an existential noir, with discreet charm.
I saw the color version, which looked very good (the colors are soft, mild and subtle), but would've still preferred the B&W.
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jeff_v [ 8.0 ]
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Virtually the opposite of their last feature, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, the Coen Bros. new film is monochromatic and underplayed. It's about a barber (Billy Bob Thornton) who becomes the ultimate Superfluous Man when his actions are nullified, and nullify himself. It's told in Noir style, but with comedic trimmings, up through the grimly ironic finale.
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| Weighted Rating | : 7.5 |
| No. Ratings | : 18 | |
| No. Reviews | : 5 | |
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