Billy Bob Thornton,
Frances McDormand,
Michael Badalucco,
James Gandolfini,
Tony Shalhoub
... see more 
Set in a sleepy Northern California town in the 1940s, Joel Coen and Ethan Coen's The Man Who Wasn't There stars Billy Bob Thornton as Ed Crane, a humble barber who suspects his hard-hearted and hard-... read more
DVD Release Date: April 16, 2002
Get It:
Stats: 1,872 reviews
Your Rating
Flixster Reviews (1,872)
-
May 13, 2012The Coens capture the look and feel of not only film noir, but that era (late 1940s) as a whole, perfectly with this film. Billy Bob Thornton is great as the laconic, chain-smoking barber Ed Crane, who doesn't have a whole lot to say, and doesn't really do much either.
To break ... read more -
March 26, 2012fb1664868775A beautiful minor key film. The inclusion of some of Beethoven's most beautiful sonatas into this noir really works. Thornton and McDormand are fantastic plus a whole host of supporting roles that are hilarious.
-
January 18, 2012Definitely the Coens' greatest achievement. right after Blood Simple, Millers Crossing, Raising Arizona, No Country for Old Men, the Big Lebowski, Fargo and O' Brother, Where Art Thou.
-
March 12, 2011The Coen brothers stylish noir looks as cool as it gets, but is it entertaining enough? No. No thrills, not too much suspense, but hell, no wonder Roger Deakens got the Acamedy Award nomination for this one. Awesome cinematography.
-
December 22, 2010very well written and expertly crafted, the film lacks substance, a surprise for a coen film, but the cinematography was excellent and the narration alone was interesting enough to make for a good film. it really says something for the coens when a film this good is one of their... read more
-
December 4, 2010A passable outing by the Coen brothers that borders on the bland. The style is noir, sure, but the story is not - so unfortunately, in places, all you're left with is uninspiring black and white. Part of me thinks they only chose black and white to help us differentiate between t... read more
-
June 12, 2010Maybe it's just the fact that it's the plot is so flashy or the fact that it's shot so well, but this is really just undeniably amazing to watch. I think it's the best that Billy Bob Thorton has ever been, I love him in it. Even though it's a throwback to Noir, it feels like you ... read more
-
September 3, 2009The Coen's most beautifully directed film, hands down. The smooth black and white finish is sublime. Thornton is fantastic, in what I believe to be his best role to date (Just beating his character in sling blade). The whole cast are on top form and for me, this has my favourite ... read more
-
November 2, 2008So, it seems the Coens can't always be on top of their game. The Man Who Wasn't There is not an awful movie because it is better than your average flick, but for a Coen's film, it is a tad disappointing.
Shot entirely in black and white, which matches the the late 1940s
... read more -
October 25, 2008When I saw The Man Who Wasn't There in the theater I was incredibly disappointed. Not enough of the Coens' trademarked weirdness and way too much wayward boredom. Since 2001 I've grown a whole new appreciation for film noir (which The Man Who Wasn't There pays homage to almost pe... read more
Critic Reviews
October 13, 2009
Richard Schickel, TIME Magazine
November 7, 2007
Todd McCarthy, Variety
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
November 7, 2007
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
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
July 21, 2005
Eric Harrison, Houston Chronicle
Despite the movie's humor and sense of irony, it takes on a sense of somberness as it progresses. Full Review
March 22, 2002
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail
A paradoxical film even by the Coen brothers' standards: a painstakingly crafted throwaway. Full Review
January 22, 2002
Peter Rainer, New York Magazine
The Man Who Wasn't There denatures pulp, and although I know this was the Coens' intention, it's not a particularly gratifying one. Their movie isn't there, either. Full Review
November 18, 2001
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee
Nothing else matters here except Thornton's blandly bravura performance ... and the film's rampant, detailed atmosphere. Full Review
November 16, 2001
Jay Boyar, Orlando Sentinel
If the drabness doesn't get you, the deliberately glacial pacing will.
November 11, 2001
Tom Long, Detroit News
A noble failure in the canon of America's best sibling film team, a movie that was there just a bit too long. Full Review
November 11, 2001
(CNN.com) Paul Clinton, CNN.com
A beautifully executed film that is remarkable on many, many levels. Full Review
View more
The Man Who Wasn't There
reviews
Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
