Review of The Man Who Wasn't There (2001) by Claudia D — 30 Apr 2008

I should start by saying that I normally hate black and white films, they really annoy me. I think it's because colours really show emotions and give films more character, I just find it more interesting. But in this case I survived watching this whole film, and came to realise that the black and white made this movie more.. mysterious. It was probably the better choice than making this in colour, it gave me an idea of the film when it had only just started. It's unique, mysterious, strange, humorous and unlike any other film I have seen before.

It's definitely something strange from Billy Bob Thornton, it's nothing at all like any of his other films. Obviously it's not a comedy, though it does have a few jokes, so it's nothing like his new comedy movies. And even some of the drama ones I have seen before of his.. it was like another actor. That, by the way, isn't a bad thing. It's a great thing, I love the way he can go from films like Sling Blade, to this, to Bad Santa. He has a huge range of characters he can play so well, and they're all so different. In this movie Billy Bob is Ed Crane, very mysterious and somehow seemed to be the normal, boring kind of guy. We are shown important parts of his life before and after an incident that would change his whole life.

Apart from Billy Bob Thornton, this movie also had some great stars. Scarlett Johansson was great as her role of a young girl who Ed finds an important part of his life, and is determined to make sure her life isn't as much of a disaster as his. Tony Shalhoub was also quite good in this film, there wasn't much to his character but he mastered him and made the movie a lot more entertaining to watch.

This is definitely worth seeing if you are a Billy Bob Thornton fan, it's complex at times, but definitely a beautifully made film. The movie climax at the end was done exceptionally well and the feeling still stayed with me after the credits. "I don't know what waits for me, beyond the earth and sky. But I'm not afraid to go.".