The Man Who Wasn't There

Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Frances McDormand, Scarlett Johansson, Tony Shalhoub, James Gandolfini, Richard Jenkins
Directed by: Joel & Ethan Coen
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
2001

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A barber (Billy Bob Thornton) blackmails his wife's (Frances McDormand) boss (James Gandolfini), but things quickly spiral out of control.

Review:

Tim: The Man Who Wasn't There will never be considered one of the greatest Coen Brothers movies, but I was surprised by this film. I wouldn't consider it even close to a "great" film, but there was enough substance and style here for me to enjoy the movie. This is a good film with some definite strenghts, and while a bit unconventional, it's worth seeing.

First off, I love the decision to shoot in black and white. This probably didn't win over most mainstream audiences, but there's something so retro and cool about black-and-white movies. It makes the constrasts just stand out so much more. I have to give credit to Roger Deakins, because the cinematography in this film is incredible. Everything looked so stark and so clear. I could not tear my eyes away from the screen. This movie is just beautiful to look at. I loved that aspect of the film. It's not surprising that Deakins was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography (consequently, that was the film's only Oscar nomination). That was likely my favorite aspect of the film.

As we've come to expect from Coen Brothers movies, the cast is quite good. I was surprised by what a remarkable performance Billy Bob Thornton gives. Now, he really embodies a man who wasn't there- his performance is extremely restrained and introverted. He moves through this movie with rarely an expression on his face and very few changes in pitch or tone. It's a remarkably bland peformance, but it's surprisingly captivating. Thornton handles this difficult role with master class acting- he's "not there", but he never allows the audience to pull away from him. He manages to be engaging while not engaging with much of anything. It's truly an inspiring performance, especially with how limited he had to be.

I've never loved Frances McDormand and she did not win me over here. She's good, as expected, but wasn't anything really special. Scarlett Johansson was quite good in a small, early-career performance. I really liked Tony Shalhoub's over-the-top, sleazy but intelligent lawyer. He brought some much-needed energy to the film. James Gandolfini was quite good as well. I always love seeing Richard Jenkins, although I do wish he had more to do here. As a whole, the cast is very, very impressive, although this movie is really all about Billy Bob Thornton. Still, it's fun to see great actors brought together for a film.

The story itself is pretty bizarre, but I loved the originality in it. The Coens have crafted an interesting crime drama with a nice focus on more film noir aspects. The story is fairly engaging, and while I never really felt emotionally invested in it, I was certainly intrigued and wanted to find out how it ended. There's a few crazy moments (the UFO thing was weird), but the Coens manage these farly effectively.

The problem that held this film back is that the story is interesting, but it's nothing special. There's no "instant classic" moments like in many of the Coen Brothers' better films. Everything about this film is good, but besides the Cinematography, there's really not much great about it. That is basically how I felt about the whole film- good, but clearly not great.

This is certainly not a disappointment, however. It would be great if every movie directors make turned out fantastic, but that's clearly not reality. This film is entertaining and interesting, and while it doesn't have enough substance or power to embed itself in our memories forever, it's still a solid, enjoyable film. I appreciated the unique, original quality to the story and the approach, and this film yet another solid film that cements the Coens' legacy as true filmmakers.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: No Country for Old Men, Fargo