Summary
Ed Crane, a small town barber, has never made a splash in the world or even taken a big risk in his life but when a venture capitalist proposes a partnership he throws caution to the wind to blackmail his wife’s married lover to raise the money to finally get his slice of the pie.
My Viewing
I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this one. It was the last of the Coen Brothers movies I hadn’t seen and I had never heard a single person reference it let alone say they liked it. To be honest, I was more looking to just finally check that last film of theirs of my watchlist so it wasn’t with a whole lot of excitement that I popped this one into the ol’ Blu-ray player and poured a cup of coffee on a Wednesday morning before work (my day job doesn’t start till 10:30 on those days :)
My Thoughts
Overall I like this film. I didn’t love it but I did like it. I say this because after mentioning a few positives I’m going to slam the door on it and I don’t want my readers to think this isn’t a good movie. Even my least favorite Coen Bros. film is better than 95% of what hits the theaters, or the horror clearing house that is Netflix.
It has some really beautiful cinematography. Far from being a person who avoids a black and white film, I tend to gravitate toward them, not because there is inherently anything good about B&W but because if a cinematographer and Directing team like Roger Deakins and Joel & Ethan Coen decided to shoot in B&W, you know there is a reason.
The beauty of some of the shots in this film is simply over the top. The way shadow veils things from the viewers eyes just as the main characters have revealed to them so little of what is the real situation happening around them is only matched by the deep staging which requires careful lighting and a technical mastery which is impressive to say the least. The acting is quite good but a little stoic or stiff. I know that is how the character is supposed to be but it sure does leave the audience with a tough task. Caring about a character who seems so aggressively passive is difficult. Many times you feel like yelling, “Well you could do something about it y’know?” It does work though. If not for those frustrations it would be difficult to get on this guy’s side when he finally takes action and, frankly, with how things turn out, it seems maybe he should have stayed passive.
Ultimately, though, the film falls a little flat for me. The main reason I think this happens though, isn’t really the fault of the film, just a difference in personal taste. It feels very reminiscent of “Fargo,” but without many of the scenes or even the setting that makes “Fargo” pop in such a fantastic way. For many this would go in the pro column for this “The Man Who Wasn’t There.” Not for me, is all.
Other than that, the film is great and I definitely recommend it and not just for the Coen Brothers completionist, like me. If you find some of the Coen’s movies a little over the top and prefer their films like “Blood Simple” and “Miller’s Crossing,” I think you’ll find “The Man Who Wasn’t There” is right up your alley.
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