The film that was there
Ryan Heinz
Issue date: 3/8/02 Section: The Edge
- Page 1 of 1
4 out of 4
"The Man Who Wasn't There" is yet another excellent offering by the brothers Coen (Joel in the director's chair, Ethan with a producer credit, and the two of them collaborating on the screenplay), who manage to deftly create a uniqueness within each of their films.
It was just over a year ago that the brothers combined Homer's "The Odyssey" with the Great Depression-era south to create "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" Now they've decided to dabble in some film noir, a genre made famous by classic 40s films such as "The Maltese Falcon" and "Double Indemnity."
Like with most of their previous works, the Coens offer up a plot that has many twists and turns, although it never takes away from the initial character's storyline. In this case, the movie's pivotal character is Ed Crane (Billy Bob Thorton), a simple-minded barber who seems to get most of his enjoyment out of life by chain smoking in silence while staring into nothingness.
Living in the quiet town of Santa Rosa, Calif., circa 1949, nothing arouses Ed's interests until a mysterious man (Jon Polito) passes through the shop one day and pitches the idea of a great new invention called dry cleaning.
It doesn't take long before Ed decides he wants to be included in on the venture, although he lacks the $10,000 to become a "silent partner." This money is obtained through the blackmail of his friend Big Dave (an excellent performance by James Gandolfini), whom Ed assumes is having an affair with his hard-drinking, boisterous wife, Doris (played by Frances McDormand). However, things don't quite go as planned when Ed is inevitably duped out of the money, kills Big Dave after a scuffle and Doris gets accused of the murder.
In typical Coen fashion, there are several unusual characters that enter into Ed's life as he spins into a downward spiral. Among them are a fast-talking lawyer, Freddy Riedenschneider (a scene-stealing Tony Shalhoub) and a piano-playing lolita named Birdy, played with an icy cool demeanor by Scarlett Johansson of "Ghost World" fame.
The thing about Ed is that he could care less that his life is descending into hell; he rarely shows emotion while narrating the film in a dry, husky voice. Thorton is a marvel in the role, and he seems perfect for a noir character as his features are well-complimented by the lush black and white cinematography of Roger Deakins (who is the film's sole Oscar nominee).
"The Man Who Wasn't There" is one of a series of films last year in which Thorton flexed his acting muscles, leading the brilliant cast and crew ensemble through another great Coen brothers film.
"The Man Who Wasn't There" is yet another excellent offering by the brothers Coen (Joel in the director's chair, Ethan with a producer credit, and the two of them collaborating on the screenplay), who manage to deftly create a uniqueness within each of their films.
It was just over a year ago that the brothers combined Homer's "The Odyssey" with the Great Depression-era south to create "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" Now they've decided to dabble in some film noir, a genre made famous by classic 40s films such as "The Maltese Falcon" and "Double Indemnity."
Like with most of their previous works, the Coens offer up a plot that has many twists and turns, although it never takes away from the initial character's storyline. In this case, the movie's pivotal character is Ed Crane (Billy Bob Thorton), a simple-minded barber who seems to get most of his enjoyment out of life by chain smoking in silence while staring into nothingness.
Living in the quiet town of Santa Rosa, Calif., circa 1949, nothing arouses Ed's interests until a mysterious man (Jon Polito) passes through the shop one day and pitches the idea of a great new invention called dry cleaning.
It doesn't take long before Ed decides he wants to be included in on the venture, although he lacks the $10,000 to become a "silent partner." This money is obtained through the blackmail of his friend Big Dave (an excellent performance by James Gandolfini), whom Ed assumes is having an affair with his hard-drinking, boisterous wife, Doris (played by Frances McDormand). However, things don't quite go as planned when Ed is inevitably duped out of the money, kills Big Dave after a scuffle and Doris gets accused of the murder.
In typical Coen fashion, there are several unusual characters that enter into Ed's life as he spins into a downward spiral. Among them are a fast-talking lawyer, Freddy Riedenschneider (a scene-stealing Tony Shalhoub) and a piano-playing lolita named Birdy, played with an icy cool demeanor by Scarlett Johansson of "Ghost World" fame.
The thing about Ed is that he could care less that his life is descending into hell; he rarely shows emotion while narrating the film in a dry, husky voice. Thorton is a marvel in the role, and he seems perfect for a noir character as his features are well-complimented by the lush black and white cinematography of Roger Deakins (who is the film's sole Oscar nominee).
"The Man Who Wasn't There" is one of a series of films last year in which Thorton flexed his acting muscles, leading the brilliant cast and crew ensemble through another great Coen brothers film.