"The Man who Wasn't There " is one of the finest of all film-noirs, (or since it was made in 2001, perhaps we should call it a 'neo-noir'). The Coen Brothers made it, (they wrote it and directed it), and they chose to shoot it in black and white which was an inspired choice since this is one of the most beautiful looking movies ever made, (the DoP was Roger Deakins, still shamefully chasing his elusive first Oscar), and it's got a classic film-noir plot and some classic film-no"
ir
characters; a schmuck of an anti-hero with a trampy wife, (she's got a
lover, of course), as well as a girl who may be the schmuck's redemption
or his downfall and it involves blackmail and a couple of murders and
it's set in a classic film-noir period, the 1940's. And yet this
magnificent movie is seldom cited when people are asked to name their
favourite Coen Brothers' films. Could it be that it's just too stylish
or just too much of a pastiche, (it is often very funny). Personally I
find its beauties are manifold and the superlative cast, many of whom
are Coen Bros. stalwarts, includes Billy Bob Thornton, (the schmuck),
Frances McDormand, (the wife), James Gandolfini, (the lover) and
Scarlett Johansson, (the girl), as well as Richard Jenkins, Sol Polito,
Tony Shaloub and Michael Badalucco. Stunning.
"The Man who Wasn't There " is one of the finest of all film-noirs, (or since it was made in 2001, perhaps we should call it a 'neo-noir'). The Coen Brothers made it, (they wrote it and directed it), and they chose to shoot it in black and white which was an inspired choice since this is one of the most beautiful looking movies ever made, (the DoP was Roger Deakins, still shamefully chasing his elusive first Oscar), and it's got a classic film-noir plot and some classic film-no"ir
characters; a schmuck of an anti-hero with a trampy wife, (she's got a
lover, of course), as well as a girl who may be the schmuck's redemption
or his downfall and it involves blackmail and a couple of murders and
it's set in a classic film-noir period, the 1940's. And yet this
magnificent movie is seldom cited when people are asked to name their
favourite Coen Brothers' films. Could it be that it's just too stylish
or just too much of a pastiche, (it is often very funny). Personally I
find its beauties are manifold and the superlative cast, many of whom
are Coen Bros. stalwarts, includes Billy Bob Thornton, (the schmuck),
Frances McDormand, (the wife), James Gandolfini, (the lover) and
Scarlett Johansson, (the girl), as well as Richard Jenkins, Sol Polito,
Tony Shaloub and Michael Badalucco. Stunning.
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