The Coen Brothers have made some great quality movies, and their tip of the hat to film noir, The Man Who Wasn’t There, is no exception. Starring Billy Bob Thornton, Frances McDormand (of course!), James Gandolfini and Scarlett Johansson, the movie is set in the 1940s and revolves around Thornton’s character - an ambitionless, chain-smoking barber with not a lot to say. He might be quiet, but he’s a nice enough guy, although when he suspects his wife (Frances McDormand ) is having an affair with her big-talking boss (James Gandolfini), he tries to take advantage of the situation and things start to get a little complicated. It is, after all, a Coen Brothers movie.
I couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for Billy Bob Thornton when I was watching this movie. He smokes more than Don Draper in the earlier episodes of Mad Men, which is quite an achievement - although it did lead to him quitting when it was finished. He has also stated in interviews that he has a phobia of antique furniture and, considering this is set in the 1940s, I think he did very well not to show it. He must have known what he was getting into though, even if he did, out of respect and confidence in the Coen Brothers, sign up without having first read the script.
The Man Who Wasn’t There has earned a number of accolades, most notably for the Cinematography, although Joel Coen famously had to share the prestige of Best Director with David Lynch (for Mulholland Drive) at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival. This movie really is a great piece of cinema and is definitely well worth a watch.
