Review of The Man Who Wasn't There (2001) by Bjorn K — 09 Feb 2011
I've seen this film criticized because the protagonist doesn't carry through, but I would argue that the Coens like to make movies about anti-heroes who hatch a criminal plan that is out of their league, or aspire to some idealized sense of self. Then the anti-hero is unable to conform to the requisite standards he has set for himself, and the plot centers more on the consequences.than the original plan or self-conception.
We saw this in Blood Simple, Barton Fink, and in Fargo. In Blood Simple, the husband didn't anticipate the detective shooting him, and wasn't prepared for it, in Fargo, Steve Buscemi's character wanted to be a professional criminal, but behaved decidedly unprofessionally. In Barton Fink, the aspiring scribe who wanted to be a great writer wouldn't listen to the compelling stories John Goodman's character was telling him, to his own ultimate demis.
This review of The Man Who Wasn't There (2001) was written by Bjorn K on 09 Feb 2011.
The Man Who Wasn't There has generally received very positive reviews.
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