Fresh
Affectlessness is not a quality much prized in movie protagonists, but Billy Bob Thornton, that splendid actor, does it perfectly as Ed Crane.
Richard Schickel, TIME Magazine
The Man Who Wasn't There
2001 · 1h 56m · R
Crime, Drama
Directed by
Joel Coen
,
Ethan Coen
Overview
A tale of murder, crime and punishment set in the summer of 1949. Ed Crane, a barber in a small California town, is dissatisfied with his life, but his wife Doris' infidelity and a mysterious opportunity presents him with a chance to change it.
Director and cast
- Joel Coen Director
- Ethan Coen Director
- Billy Bob Thornton as Ed Crane
- Frances McDormand as Doris Crane
- Michael Badalucco as Frank
- James Gandolfini as Big Dave Brewster
- Katherine Borowitz as Ann Nirdlinger Brewster
- Jon Polito as Creighton Tolliver
- Scarlett Johansson as Birdy Abundas
- Richard Jenkins as Walter Abundas
- Tony Shalhoub as Freddy Riedenschneider
- Christopher Kriesa as Officer Persky
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
81%
Tomatometer
Rotten
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.
Todd McCarthy, Variety
Fresh
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.
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
Fresh
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.
Geoff Andrew, Time Out
Fresh
Despite the movie's humor and sense of irony, it takes on a sense of somberness as it progresses.
Eric Harrison, Houston Chronicle
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Comments
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