The Man Who Wasn’t There «««
R, 116m. 2001
Cast & Credits: Billy Bob Thornton (Edward 'Ed' Crane), Frances McDormand (Doris Crane), Michael Badalucco (Frank), James Gandolfini (David 'Big Dave' Brewster), Katherine Borowitz (Ann Nirdlinger), Jon Polito (Creighton Tolliver), Scarlett Johansson (Rachel 'Birdy' Abundas), Richard Jenkins (Walter Abundas), Tony Shalhoub (Freddy Riedenschneider). Written and directed by Joel & Ethan Cohen.
Dark, humorous, different.
Such are the words I use to describe The Man Who Wasn’t There, the latest project to come from writer, producer, and director Joel and Ethan Coen (Blood Simple – 1984).
They are the same words I told the woman in charge of the film’s press screening who wanted to know mine and everyone else’s reaction after seeing the picture.
I have found these three words are what best described any film by the Coen brothers. I have always found their movies to be presented in two stages. The first is we’re introduced to a lot of memorable characters.
Shot entirely in black and white, The Man Who Wasn’t There takes us back to the 1940s, where we meet people like Ed Crane (Billy Bob Thornton), a local barber “who’s just there to cut hair.”
He is nothing like his wife’s brother, Frank (Michael Badalucco), also a barber, who is always talking everybody’s ear off. Ed never engages in small talk with the customers. In fact, the most he probably ever says out loud, other than narrating about his unhappy life, is when he asks Frank if he ever wonders about the nature of hair.
“Have you ever noticed how it never stops growing,” he asks him.
Then there is Ed’s wife (Frances McDormand) who prefers to have dinners only when her department store boss, Big Dave (James Gandolfini) and his wife come over.
There are others too like the mysterious customer (Jon Polito) from out of town asking for money to start a dry cleaning business. And a fast talking defense lawyer (Tony Shalhoub) who is eager to take on a murder case but doesn’t quite want to know, much less figure out how it all transpired.
This all leads to the second stage where the viewer asks “Where is this movie going?” before finally dawning on us what it really is about.
The Man Who Wasn’t There is about a get rich quick scheme orchestrated by Ed that goes horribly wrong. What holds the film together is Thornton’s dead pan, emotionless, monotone character whose expressions and comments are humorous to watch and listen. He’s like one of those quiet types who never says a word. That is until you see him put his story on paper to be submitted to a crime magazine.
“If it looks like I’m telling you more than I should be, it’s because the magazine is paying me five cents per word,” he says.
Thornton’s performance alone is what makes The Man Who Wasn’t There worth seeing. His is a true portrait of someone who not only wishes he was someplace else but truly wishes he was actually doing something else.
©10/24/01
R, 116m. 2001
Cast & Credits: Billy Bob Thornton (Edward 'Ed' Crane), Frances McDormand (Doris Crane), Michael Badalucco (Frank), James Gandolfini (David 'Big Dave' Brewster), Katherine Borowitz (Ann Nirdlinger), Jon Polito (Creighton Tolliver), Scarlett Johansson (Rachel 'Birdy' Abundas), Richard Jenkins (Walter Abundas), Tony Shalhoub (Freddy Riedenschneider). Written and directed by Joel & Ethan Cohen.
Such are the words I use to describe The Man Who Wasn’t There, the latest project to come from writer, producer, and director Joel and Ethan Coen (Blood Simple – 1984).
They are the same words I told the woman in charge of the film’s press screening who wanted to know mine and everyone else’s reaction after seeing the picture.
I have found these three words are what best described any film by the Coen brothers. I have always found their movies to be presented in two stages. The first is we’re introduced to a lot of memorable characters.
Shot entirely in black and white, The Man Who Wasn’t There takes us back to the 1940s, where we meet people like Ed Crane (Billy Bob Thornton), a local barber “who’s just there to cut hair.”
He is nothing like his wife’s brother, Frank (Michael Badalucco), also a barber, who is always talking everybody’s ear off. Ed never engages in small talk with the customers. In fact, the most he probably ever says out loud, other than narrating about his unhappy life, is when he asks Frank if he ever wonders about the nature of hair.
“Have you ever noticed how it never stops growing,” he asks him.
Then there is Ed’s wife (Frances McDormand) who prefers to have dinners only when her department store boss, Big Dave (James Gandolfini) and his wife come over.
There are others too like the mysterious customer (Jon Polito) from out of town asking for money to start a dry cleaning business. And a fast talking defense lawyer (Tony Shalhoub) who is eager to take on a murder case but doesn’t quite want to know, much less figure out how it all transpired.
This all leads to the second stage where the viewer asks “Where is this movie going?” before finally dawning on us what it really is about.
The Man Who Wasn’t There is about a get rich quick scheme orchestrated by Ed that goes horribly wrong. What holds the film together is Thornton’s dead pan, emotionless, monotone character whose expressions and comments are humorous to watch and listen. He’s like one of those quiet types who never says a word. That is until you see him put his story on paper to be submitted to a crime magazine.
“If it looks like I’m telling you more than I should be, it’s because the magazine is paying me five cents per word,” he says.
Thornton’s performance alone is what makes The Man Who Wasn’t There worth seeing. His is a true portrait of someone who not only wishes he was someplace else but truly wishes he was actually doing something else.
©10/24/01
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