The Man Who Wasn’t There **** (2001, Billy Bob Thornton, Frances McDormand, James Gandolfini) – Classic Movie Review 1765

The tenth movie from the Coen Brothers in 2001 sees them returning to the Forties-style film-noir terrain of their debut film, Blood Simple, in a clever, atmospheric, compellingly twisting tale of infidelity, blackmail and death.

Billy Bob Thornton is terrific as Ed Crane, a meek, chain-smoking small-town barber who’s dissatisfied with his mundane life in northern California in the late 40s, working for his brother-in-law, Frank (Michael Badalucco).

An encounter with a fat, greasy travelling entrepreneur, Creighton Tolliver (Jon Polito), and the discovery of his brassy two-timing wife Doris (Frances McDormand)’s infidelity with Big Dave Brewster (James Gandolfini) present Ed with an opportunity for revenge and blackmail that he hopes will help him to change his luck.

However, Thornton’s scheme unravels and lays bare even darker secrets as his attempt at extortion leads to murder – and his unfaithful wife is wrongly accused of the killing.

A connoisseur’s retro artwork of a movie, with quality stamped over its every gleaming image, it is exquisitely crafted and gorgeously photographed in glorious black and white, by the same team that conjured up the Coen Brothers’ O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000). The writer-producer-director team of Joel and Ethan Coen turn in an exceptionally smart-looking, quite stunning movie. Roger Deakins’s Bafta-winning, Oscar-nominated cinematography, Carter Burwell’s score and Dennis Gassner’s production designs are extremely classy.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1765

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