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All rights reserved.The Man Who Wasn't There (2002, DVD)
| Movie Description The Coen brothers' THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE is a brilliantly photographed black-and-white absurdist noir set in Santa Rosa, California, in 1949. Ed Crane (the outstanding Billy Bob Thornton) is a slow-moving, barely talking barber who doesn't seem to want much out of life. He has virtually no relationship with his wife, Doris (Frances McDormand), who has more fun with her boss, Big Dave (James Gandolfini). But when a strange character (Jon Polito) lets it be known that he's looking for a silent partner to finance his dream business (something he calls dry cleaning), Ed sees a possible way out of his doldrums. Just like any good James M. Cain novel (which the Coens cited as a major influence on the story), blackmail, deceit, violence, murder, and double crossing ensue, all with the magic Coen twists and turns. THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE looks simply magnificent; the cinematography, the outfits, and the set designs perfectly capture this intriguing post-WWII paranoid world embodied by misfits, cheats, simpletons, con men, and other ne'er-do-wells. Thornton, who also supplies the wonderfully droll narration, gives a bravura performance as Ed, the everyman who has never strayed from the straight and narrow--until now. Always with a Chesterfield in his mouth, he wanders from scene to scene almost as if he's a spectator--even though he's at the center of everything that goes on. The supporting cast, as usual in a Coen brothers film, is outstanding, including McDormand, Gandolfini, Polito, Tony Shalhoub, Richard Jenkins, and Scarlett Johansson as a young potential piano prodigy.
Notes DVD Features: Region 1 Keep Case Anamorphic Widescreen - 1.85 Single Side - Dual Layer Audio: Dolby Digital Surround 5.1 - English Additional Release Material: Audio Commentary - 1. Joel Coen - Director 2. Ethan Coen - Director 3. Billy Bob Thornton - Star Interview - 1. Roger Deakins - Cinematographer Featurette - 1. MAKING OF MAN WHO WASN'T THERE Deleted Scenes Deleted Shots Trailer - 1. Original Theatrical Trailer Text/Galleries: Photo Gallery Filmographies - 1. Cast 2. Crew Editorial Reviews Film Comment - Paul Arthur (09/01/2001) Movieline - p.46 - Stephen Farber Sight and Sound - p.50-1 - Philip Kemp New York Times - p.E1 - A. O. Scott USA Today - p.6D - Mike Clark Entertainment Weekly - p.79-80 - Owen Gleiberman Chicago Sun-Times - Roger Ebert (01/20/2002) Awards 2001CannesBest DirectorJoel Coen | Find errors in the product description? Submit a catalog update request now. | ||||||||||
Reviews  AWESOME MOVIE!!! Billy Bob at his Best!Review created: 05/23/08 by:  I had seen part of this movie about 6 years ago, and didn't know the name of it, so I did a internet search for movies with Billy Bob as a Barber and got the name. I noticed there was only a handful for sale on Ebay, but was lucky enough to get one. This movie is one of those one can watch over several times and still get more out of it. I highly recommend it!!!! ( I also remember those old haircuts and Barber shops like that, from when I was young in the 1960's,although this is set in 1949, the movie did a great job of re-creating the whole scene). Review ID: 10000000007256349 Was this review helpful? Report this review  Cheap film, great addition to the collection.The product was in excellent condition and was exactly what I was looking for. I've been searching for this film in stores for months and decided to finally use ebay. I found it for a far more affordable price and in the best condition. It's an excellent film and a welcome addition to my collection. Review ID: 10000000006036066 Was this review helpful? Report this review GREAT product GREAT transactionReview created: 01/11/08 by: Great to work with you & Loved the DVD! We are trying to collect all of the COEN Brothers work. We will be looking for more DVD's & you will be remembered. Great Price! Great Shipping - Thank You Very Much. Review ID: 10000000005105078 Was this review helpful? Report this review Great film! A Cohen brother's MasterpieceThe Cohen brothers are known for their "out-of-the-box" films. <i>The Man Who Wasn't There</i> is not excluded for their style. It is a noir drama, with some dry humor. The film was shot in color negative, but developed into black and white, giving it a very superior fine grain. They decided to use more modern lighting, as opposed to the lighting used back in the black and white film era. This modern lighting gives us more interesting shadows and contrast. Billy Bob Thornton gives an outstanding performance as the lonely, "nobody", Ed Crane. He plays the role so well, that you are often tricked into believing that you are watching a documentary of this fellow Ed Crane. Francis McDormand's acting is also well played, her character is cold and selfish. She plays Doris Crane, the wife of Ed Crane, who is having an affair with her boss, Big Dave - who is played by James Gandolfinni. Even though Gandolfinni's role is short lived, it is very memorable. I enjoyed this film because it had a believable storyline, the rising action, and falling action are great tiers to the climax. In the end there is a resolution, but it is not an obvious one. The comedy comes from the context of the film - not the plot, which can be hard to understand. Review ID: 10000000004486328 Was this review helpful? Report this review For School AssignmentReview created: 03/06/07 by: 0 of 1 people found this review helpful. I was forced to watch this movie because of an Introduction to Film class I have. I was going to be away from class for the viewing, so I thought I'd buy it and take it with me so I'd be prepared when I got back. It was a good movie, considering it was in black and white. As such, I've gotten rid of my hiccups with black and white movies. If it were presented in colour, the concept of the whole movie would have been lost. Review ID: 10000000003116709 Was this review helpful? Report this review |
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