I love everything the Coen Brothers do. Fargo is one of my top
picks any day of the week, and O Brother Where Art Thou? was in
my 10 Best of 2000 list.
Although I love everything the C-Bros do, I don't always love it right
away. I remember being disappointed by The Big Lebowski when
it first hit theatres. I don't know what I was expecting, but whatever it
was, The Big Lebowski wasn't it. After some time went by, I caught
it again on cable -- and loved it! I've seen it several times now, and
own it on video (still working on the DVD collection...).
While I can't say I dislike The Man Who Wasn't There, I'm not
instantly loving it, either. It's a good movie; well-acted, well-written,
well-directed, well-photographed... but, well, a bit dull. While the
movie played, I found myself fidgeting, wondering what time it was,
thinking about tomorrow's plans, and so on. That's never a good
sign. But you might catch me six months from now, I'll have seen it
again and wonder what the heck was I thinking when I gave it this
marginal review.
Presented entirely in black and white, The Man Who Wasn't There
is Joel and Ethan's homage to film noir. Set in the mid-1940s, the
plot focuses on a morose barber, Ed Crane (Billy Bob Thornton,
"Bandits"), and his upwardly mobile, fashion-conscious wife, Doris
(Frances McDormand, "Almost Famous"). When he discovers that
his wife has been unfaithful to him with her boss (James
Gandolfini, "The Mexican"), Ed concocts a blackmailing scheme to
teach her a lesson, and make a few bucks in the process. But
when his plan backfires, Ed Crane becomes embroiled in a
murderous plot and faces terrible consequences. (And yes, it's a
comedy.)
As is always the case in Coen films, The Man Who Wasn't There
features fantastic acting from the top stars (Gandolfini is
marvelous, as is Thornton -- I admire these two actors more and
more every time I see them) to the supporting cast (Coen mainstay
Michael Badalucco is excellent as Ed's brother-in-law and
co-worker, and Tony Schaloub as cocky attorney Freddy Riedenschneider is brilliant), right down to the unknown bit
players.
There is a strange sub-plot in The Man Who Wasn't There which
doesn't quite tie together -- once you've seen this movie, you might
think of it as I did: a cross between Double Indemnity and The
X-Files. I like both story elements, but not necessarily together.
However, if you are a Coen Brothers fan I recommend you see this
movie and decide for yourself.
picks any day of the week, and O Brother Where Art Thou? was in
my 10 Best of 2000 list.
Although I love everything the C-Bros do, I don't always love it right
away. I remember being disappointed by The Big Lebowski when
it first hit theatres. I don't know what I was expecting, but whatever it
was, The Big Lebowski wasn't it. After some time went by, I caught
it again on cable -- and loved it! I've seen it several times now, and
own it on video (still working on the DVD collection...).
While I can't say I dislike The Man Who Wasn't There, I'm not
instantly loving it, either. It's a good movie; well-acted, well-written,
well-directed, well-photographed... but, well, a bit dull. While the
movie played, I found myself fidgeting, wondering what time it was,
thinking about tomorrow's plans, and so on. That's never a good
sign. But you might catch me six months from now, I'll have seen it
again and wonder what the heck was I thinking when I gave it this
marginal review.
Presented entirely in black and white, The Man Who Wasn't There
is Joel and Ethan's homage to film noir. Set in the mid-1940s, the
plot focuses on a morose barber, Ed Crane (Billy Bob Thornton,
"Bandits"), and his upwardly mobile, fashion-conscious wife, Doris
(Frances McDormand, "Almost Famous"). When he discovers that
his wife has been unfaithful to him with her boss (James
Gandolfini, "The Mexican"), Ed concocts a blackmailing scheme to
teach her a lesson, and make a few bucks in the process. But
when his plan backfires, Ed Crane becomes embroiled in a
murderous plot and faces terrible consequences. (And yes, it's a
comedy.)
As is always the case in Coen films, The Man Who Wasn't There
features fantastic acting from the top stars (Gandolfini is
marvelous, as is Thornton -- I admire these two actors more and
more every time I see them) to the supporting cast (Coen mainstay
Michael Badalucco is excellent as Ed's brother-in-law and
co-worker, and Tony Schaloub as cocky attorney Freddy Riedenschneider is brilliant), right down to the unknown bit
players.
There is a strange sub-plot in The Man Who Wasn't There which
doesn't quite tie together -- once you've seen this movie, you might
think of it as I did: a cross between Double Indemnity and The
X-Files. I like both story elements, but not necessarily together.
However, if you are a Coen Brothers fan I recommend you see this
movie and decide for yourself.