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Amazon.co.uk Review
Not only in its austere monochrome but in its tone, it comes as a total contrast to the Coens' previous film, the cheerfully picaresque O Brother, Where Art Thou?. Though they toss in plenty of surreal gags, including a whole running thread about flying saucers (this is Roswell-era America, after all), the overall mood is quiet, reflective and even--something quite new for the Coens--compassionate. Their protagonist, barber Ed Crane (Billy Bob Thornton, proving himself one of the great chameleon actors of our time), is a man trapped by his own impassivity--inside him, a seething mass of emotion that he's utterly unable to express. In true Coen style, his frustration leads him into a fatal move that spirals disastrously out of control.
Thornton is ably supported by a whole gallery of Coen regulars--Frances McDormand, Jon Polito, Tony Shalhoub--plus James Gandolfini (The Sopranos) and an amazingly assured turn from Scarlett Johansson (Ghost World). The dialogue, as you'd expect, is masterly, while the brothers' regular collaborators Director of Photography Roger Deakins and production designer Dennis Gassner work wonders of period evocation, and Carter Burwell contributes a haunting score.
On the DVD: The Man Who Wasn't There comes to DVD in a sharp, clean 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer that captures all the depth and subtlety of Deakins' superb photography, impeccably matched by the crystal-clear Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound. A lavish helping of extras includes a trailer and two TV spots, stills photo gallery, filmographies, a 16-minute "making of" featurette, an overlong (47 minutes) interview with Deakins, a batch of deleted scenes, and best of all, the voice-over commentary. This gives us not just Joel and Ethan, but Billy Bob as well, chatting and chortling and clearly enjoying every second of the movie they've made. Their enthusiasm is irresistible. –-Philip Kemp
DVD Description
Commentary with Billy Bob Thornton and Joel & Ethan Coen
Interview with Cinematographer Roger Deakins
A "making-of" documentary
Deleted scenes
Filmographies
Behind-the-scenes photo gallery, trailer & TV spots
16:9 anamorphic widescreen transfer (aspect ratio 1.85:1)
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
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Customer Reviews
The plot begins reasonably simple (as do the characters), a blackmail attempt on Billy Bob Thornton's part to finance an investment into dry cleaning. However, things soon become very complex and demanding when murder, incorrect indictment and other such things inundate the picture. But still Thornton's character drifts his way through his troubles and offers occasionally inspiring lines of wisdom and the blandly imparted but true philosophies of his life. His boredom and his alienation makes him a dislikeable but trustworthy narrator for such a dark film.
'The man who wasn't there' is a very artful, quietly knowing film, lined with the malignant, full of twists, at times surreal and funny and a film that moves at its own pace to its grim and moving conclusion. It has the basis of a simple film about dissatisfaction from the forties and it investigates the problems with 'surburban boredom' and the darker and more murderous side of resolving this. A very clever film.
I first came across this film after I'd tracked down one of my favourite films, "The Hudsucker Proxy". Unbelievably that film isn't available in an unbundled state for Region 2 DVD players. So, disgusted and defeated, I had to buy a whole box of films called "The Coen Brothers' Collection" because it happened to have "The Hudsucker Proxy" in it. It was like a happy accident. There were three other films in the box that I probably wouldn't have watched if I hadn't had to buy the lot in order to get the one film I wanted. "The Man Who Wasn't There" wasn't in the box but after I'd watched those films, I looked for more Coen Brothers' films and found this. A couple of days after the first time I watched it, I was driving home after an exceptionally awful day at work, feeling grim and grumpy and, in an effort to relax and stop grinding my teeth, I started thinking about some of my favourite parts of this film. By half way home I was laughing.
The story is dark, occasionally weird and (if you share the Coen sense of humour) very funny. The acting is just about perfect and the black and white photography is gorgeous. It has all the elements of a favourite film. Highly recommended.
The plot is set around the murder of a local business man - a distinctly unlike able James Gandolfini ('Big' Dave) and Crane's wife played superbly by one of the Coens favourites - Frances McDormand finds herself as the prime suspect. Things are much more convoluted than that of course, but to discuss the finer points of what happens from here would spoil too much of the plot. What is striking from the moment you start watching this film is the superb performance Thornton puts in, never has a character so openly taciturn and mundane been played with such emotion. You cannot help but feel sorry for Crane, especially when he finds himself in the dock for a crime he did not commit and despite his misgivings, the way Thornton portrays him can only lead you to empathise thoroughly with the mans plight. McDormand once again builds on her reputation from roles in previous Coen brother films, notably Blood simple and Fargo and the rest of the support cast put in good performances especially Tony Shaloub (Monk!) as the big shot lawyer from out of town.
What also makes this a highly likable and original film is the beautiful photography and the music score which suits the pace of the movie perfectly. Although this may not be the Coens most palatable film it is certainly a bold adventure which works well and can sit proudly amongst their finest. Do not be put off by the fact that this is shot in black and white or that the pace of the film can seem slow at times - it is the ideal antidote to much of what is produced in Hollywood. It is also hard to imagine Billy Bob Thornton in a finer role, he plays a man ignored by society, an ordinary man trying to live his life in an ordinary way - he cuts hair. Yes this is a depressing tale of a man with no real place in our world, a man who until he does something extraordinary or notorious will never receive recognition. It is a tale common to modern society and for that fact alone I can highly recommend this film.
Set in 1949 (hence the black and white which adds period atmosphere)... Read more
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