The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:151
Fresh:121
Rotten:30
Average Rating:7.1/10
Consensus: Stylish but emotionally distant, TMWWT is a clever tribute to the noir genre.
Runtime: 1 hr 56 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: 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... [More]
Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Frances McDormand, James Gandolfini, Michael Badalucco
Director: Joel Coen
Reviews for The Man Who Wasn't There
| Tomatometer | Critic | Review | Category |
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As good a film as I've seen this year. Full Review |
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4/5 |
Slowly paced for a thriller and with a hero many will find off-putting, this is nevertheless a gripping, unusual and challenging work from the most consistently brilliant filmmakers of the last decade. Full Review |
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In this the Coens' sly script is helped no end by Billy Bob Thornton's supremely eloquent performance as the taciturn tonsor, lent terrific support from Frances McDormand as the wife. Full Review |
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A perfectly executed illustration of what is not, quite, great about the Coen brothers, which is a kind of grandstanding, and another kind of weirdly alienating insincerity. Full Review |
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5/5 |
Stunning photography, terrific performances from a note-perfect cast, and a wonderful, dryly-comic script. One of the best films of the year. Full Review |
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5/5 |
It's impossible to guess what the Coen brothers will come up with next, and little could prepare us for this offbeat 1940s noir drama shot in full period style. But it's a complete and utter triumph. Full Review |
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3/4 |
The movie itself is a stylish piece of work, shot in black and white with odd, captivating atmosphere and production design; it's kind of a cross between a 1940s film noir and a satire of banal 1950s America. Full Review |
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5/5 |
A unique, peculiar, riveting experience, The Man Who Wasn't There is one of the best films of the year. Full Review |
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It is the best American film of the year. Full Review |
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Affectlessness is not a quality much prized in movie protagonists, but Billy Bob Thornton, that splendid actor, does it perfectly as Ed Crane. Full Review |
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The film holds the interest, to be sure, but more due to the sure sense of craft and precise effect that one expects from the Coens than from genuine involvement in the story. Full Review |
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Joel and Ethan Coen stay true to their bent for dense heroes and neonoir, and to their unshakable conviction that life usually turns out to be splendidly horrific. Full Review |
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5/5 |
Thornton does wonders within the tabula rasa of words and gestures he's limited to. Full Review |
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3/4 |
Mr. Shaloub injects some much needed energy into the film which otherwise feels long at two hours. Full Review |
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A |
Despite the movie's humor and sense of irony, it takes on a sense of somberness as it progresses. Full Review |
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It's perfectly, elegantly reticent about its subject matter, as suits both the theme and the tradition of film noir (a type of filmmaking that thrives on unstated motives). Full Review |
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B |
You've heard of a 'vacant stare'; now you know what it's like for the person staring. Full Review |
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B- |
Thornton's ultra low key performance is a plus, as is the effectively moody, black and white cinematography. Full Review |
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3/4 |
Once again, Ethan and Joel Coen have twisted a film genre into something new. Full Review |
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3.5/4 |
Joel and Ethan Coen have created an excellent film that intelligent audiences should really appreciate. Full Review |
CommentLatest News for The Man Who Wasn't There
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RT interview: Roger Deakins on No Country for Old Men
Cinematographer, Roger Deakins, comes out from behind the lens to discuss his long time collaboration with the Coen brothers and No Country for Old Men. More...
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Before expanding wide on November 21, No Country for Old Men (90 percent) will play in select cities this Friday riding a wave of huge expectations. The Cormac McCarthy-based... More...
February 02, 2006:
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According to The Hollywood Reporter, Joel & Ethan Coen's next film will be an adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's "No Country for Old Men." Word is that Tommy Lee... More...
September 07, 2005:
Clooney & Coens to Reunite for "Hail Caesar"
Apparently the latest issue of Vogue Magazine is being credited with the scoop, but fansite CoenBrothers.net broke the news about two months ago: George Clooney plans to reunite... More...
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