Man Who Wasn't There The

Joel Coen, USA, 2001, 116 minutes

Whenever you see the Coen brothers name beside a film title, you know that you are in for a memorable experience. The Man Who Wasn't There is no exception.

Billy Bob Thornton plays the narrator, Ed Crane, a barber working at his brother in law's shop, in a small, postwar, California town. Whilst styling the inhabitants hair, he dreams of better things, but nothing comes to fruition until a stranger comes to town, promising untold riches to investors in his money making scheme, the new technology of, wait for it, dry-cleaning! Our narrator sinks $10,000 into the idea and at this point things start to go unpleasantly wrong...

What starts as a steady paced, introspective and funny look at the humdrum life of a laconic barber quickly slides into a complex entanglement involving blackmail, deceit and murder. The plot is somewhat reminiscent of the Coen brother's earlier works such as Blood Simple, this neo-noir (shot in tinted black and white) film feels rather darker than later offerings. However instilled in this is also the humour and artistic splendour you expect from a Coen brother's film. Billy-Bob Thornton gives a career best performance and is strongly supported by Frances McDormand and James Gandolfini.

The Coens have managed to once more make a sleek and thought provoking movie that will have you entranced for the duration.

Review by George Williamson
Written for EUFS Programme Spring 2002