[Movie 298 / Day 314]
I have a love/hate relationship with the Coen brothers. There’s no denying that they’re massively talented, but very often, the first time I see one of their movies, I dislike it. Only on repeat viewings do I tend to get into them and, ironically, their movies often end up being counted amongst my favourites. The best example of this is THE BIG LEBOWSKI, which I just didn’t get on the first time viewing. Now that I’ve watched it three or four times, I love it. Sometimes they make a movie that I just don’t like much, no matter how much I watch it – FARGO is a prime example of this. Despite there being much about it to love (Steve Buscemi, for one thing), I just can’t get past Frances McDormand’s character, who I find intensely annoying. Having said that, occasionally a Coen brothers flick comes out and I fall in love with it on the first watch – O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? for instance.
THE MAN WHO WASN’T THERE also falls into this category. Another of the Coen’s film noir, it not only features exceptional performances and a scintillating plot, but it’s beautifully lit and shot and looks stunning in black and white. I could take practically any frame of the movie and be happy to hang it on my wall. It really looks that good.
As our narrator and protagonist Ed Crane, Billy Bob Thornton gives a sublime performance; easily one of his best. A barber working for his brother-in-law, taciturn Crane observes the world as it goes about its business, silently taking in the details while smoking endless cigarettes. Married to Doris (Coen regular Frances McDormand), a woman he barely knows and has little in common with, his life seems to have stalled, but he soon discerns a plan to get out of the doldrums. As the film progresses, a deliciously pulpy mix of adultery, murder and blackmail emerges, culminating with an irony-laden twist. Despite everything that happens to him throughout the course of the film however, Crane remains remarkably sang-froid and even resigned to his fate.
For a thriller, the movie moves at an unusually slow pace throughout and most of the action is told through Crane’s narration rather than being shown on screen, but that doesn’t make the story any less gripping. Featuring the Coen’s wonderfully black humour and their trademark dialogue throughout; THE MAN WHO WASN’T THERE is an underrated triumph and easily one of the Coen’s best.
My Rating: 
[ IMDB rating: 7.7 / 10 | IMDB link | Running time: 116 mins ]
