Review of The Man Who Wasn't There (2001) by Tasos L — 08 Sep 2010
Stark and rich at the same time. A laconic (gotta relish any opportunity to use that word) and perpetually smoking barber, Ed Crane (Billy Bob Thornton) gets involved in blackmail, and things go wrong.
Very wrong. This is my second viewing of this one and I gotta say, I like it even better this time around. Knowing what I was getting in for did help, as this is not the fastest moving tale. However, this intricate story is one that demands slow pacing; it would lose all effectiveness any other way.
The character of Ed Crane is incredibly interesting; while his motives may be questionable, he is completely relatable to, because one cannot know how one would react until he was placed into his situation.
The Man Who Wasnâ??t There has great direction, and a great supporting cast, but the biggest star of the film is the beautiful black-and-white photography. There are countless times in the movie where I just said to myself â??wow, thatâ??s gorgeousâ??.
You see many movies nowadays that take elements from film-noir, but you donâ??t see many that capture the look and atmosphere of one. This does. It is a brooding modern day noir and a lesser-known gem from the Coen brothers.
This review of The Man Who Wasn't There (2001) was written by Tasos L on 08 Sep 2010.
The Man Who Wasn't There has generally received very positive reviews.
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