The Man Who Wasn't There: Amazon.ca: Billy Bob Thornton, Frances McDormand, Michael Badalucco, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, Roger Deakins, James Gandolfini, Tony Shalhoub, Katherine Borowitz, Jon Polito, Scarlett Johansson, Richard Jenkins: DVD

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Customer Reviews

94 Reviews

5 star:		(41)
4 star:		(30)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(6)

Average Customer Review

4.0 out of 5 stars (94 customer reviews)

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Best film I have seen in a long time, Nov 22 2002

By

Christine Menendez (St. Andreu de Llavaneres, Barcelona Spain) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Man Who Wasn't There (DVD)

Well, leave it to the Coen brothers to turn a story about a barber who wants to become a dry cleaner into a little masterpiece. Everything about this film is superb. You could watch it frame by frame and never find a glitch. The cinematography is brilliant, and the film is in black and white. It could not be in colour, which would distract from its focus. The acting, the casting, are impeccable. Billy Bob is so absolutely the man who wasn't there that I can't remember his name in the film. This film is the same kind of tragedy as Fargo: you can see exactly what the tragic flaw is, exactly where everything goes wrong, and everything follows absolutely. It is quite beautiful in this logical progression of results to actions. But the focus is on our anti-hero, Billy Bob, who is one of the best developed and most believable characters I have ever seen on screen. Why he didn't get one of those heavy gold statues for this performance is beyond me.
The DVD has a great commentary with the Coen brothers and Billy Bob, quite a funny and interesting commentary. One of the better ones. There are also interviews with the various actors in the film and with the infamous brothers themselves. All in all, I could not recommend any film more highly than this one. There is nothing that simple here. This is a film about life, about fear, about fears of inadequacy, about not being recognized, about everything good you ever tried to do turning to [bad stuff].It is the tragedy of a failure who simply could not be anything other than what he was, and it is utterly brilliant.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Less is more, May 24 2004

By

K. Gittins (CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Man Who Wasn't There (DVD)

The Man Who Wasn't There is the Coen brothers slow-moving film-noirish movie about a chain-smoking barber named Ed Crane (Billy Bob) who has an opportunity to get into the dry-cleaning business, and blackmail his wife's (Francis McDormand) lover (James Gandolfini) for the $10,000 needed to get into the deal with a dry-cleaner (Jon Polito). As with most Coen brothers movies, the simple plot gets involved in subleties that may help or hinder it.

Billy Bob plays Ed with a sedate, reserved manner. Scarlet Johansson has a supporting role as a piano-playing young girl who Ed wants to help get lessons. She turns out to be only a mediocre player, and has no interest in a musical careeer. She does show her gratitude toward Ed in an oral, yet non-verbal way, however.

There are no English subtitles which could have come in handy during the giggly commentary by the Coen's and Billy Bob. The "making of" documentary was a bit below average. The conversation with cinematographer Roger Deakins could have benefitted from his voice-over on top of clips as examples, rather than having to try to remember scenes he is talking about. A few deleted scenes, photo gallery, filmographies and a trailer round out the reasonably-priced DVD.

Rated "R" for some neck-stabbing violence.

Not for everyone, but fans of the Coen brothers, Billy Bob, or Scarlett Johansson should like it. Perhaps generous with 4 stars, I'm giving the movie and extras the benefit of the doubt.

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5.0 out of 5 stars The Coen Brothers Do It Again, May 2 2004

By

David Anderson (St. Cloud, MN) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Man Who Wasn't There (DVD)

"The Man Who Wasn't There" is a great film release from 2001, starring Billy Bob Thorton, Frances McDormand, Scarlett Johansson, and James Gandolfini. The Joel and Ethan Coen, the Oscar winning writers of "Fargo", prove that their creative minds express great and original entertainment. This gloomy themed movie keeps audiences interested in every scene, besides the black and white scenery. The plot of a barber who begins illegal dry cleaning, then becomes blackmailed, is brilliant. Its combination of mystery, drama, and suspense blends perfectly. The special effects, namely the UFO, add more interesting entertainment value. As the series of events unfold, the timely theme builds, leading to a surprising conclusion. Such movie quality offers a great unforgettable film experience. Billy Bob Thorton beautifully acts his role of Ed Gayne, the barber. Gayne's hard times are expressed greatly, which proves more difficult to accomplish because he doesn't speak often. His narration throughout the film offers another sense of mystery and gloomy effect. Frances McDormand's role as Gayne's wife is performed at her top throughout the film, expressing every emotion accurately. Scarlett Johansson proves that she is one of the few child stars with actual acting talent (she was 16). All other actors also perform their roles greatly. "The Man Who Wasn't There" is a great film that will keep audiences entertained for a long time. There is no other film like it.

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Most recent customer reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars The Man Who Wasn't There Went Nowhere
The Coen brothers go artsy black and white and it works for the most part - the cinematography is wonderful. Read more

Published on Jun 9 2004 by R. Gorham

5.0 out of 5 stars Modern Film Noir
This is a movie that sneaks up on you as you watch it. Like all Coen brothers movies, on the surface it is a story about a relatively small lie that mushrooms out of control, but... Read more

Published on April 16 2004 by James R. Mckinley