THE MAN WHO WASN’T THERE (2001) ***
Reviewed 11/10/01
Ed Crane (Billy Bob Thornton) is a quiet man passively flowing down the stream of life. His only passion appears to be cigarette smoking, which he indulges in constantly. His path is always that of least resistance, which is how he became a barber. Conveniently joining the family business of his brother-in-law, Frank Raffo (Michael Badalucco), as the “second chair,” Ed has no particular interest in cutting hair, but it brings home the bread. Not too bright in a town of folks as dim as he, Ed has a hard time seeing too far into the future. This plagues him when he finally finds something he cannot tolerate in his life. That is the affair that his wife, Doris (Frances McDormand) is having with Big Dave Brewster (James Gandolfini), husband to Ann Nirdlinger (Katherine Borowitz), an heiress to the Nirdlinger department store fortune. When entrepreneur Creighton Tolliver (Coen regular Jon Polito) happens into his barber shop and tells him about the seed money he needs for a capital venture, something called dry cleaning, Ed anonymously blackmails Big Dave for $10,000. Since his affair with Doris would cost Dave the Nirdlinger fortune, he complies, only, as is so often the case in noir, plans go awry.
Meticulously framed, lit, and paced, what gets on screen is undeniable master craftsmanship from the Coens. Ed’s smoking habit gives director of photography Roger Deakins a great excuse to show some of the most lush, tactile wisps seen on the screen outside of a Wong Kar-Wai movie. Lovingly shot in black and white, THE MAN WHO WASN’T THERE almost equals Deakins’ last achievement with the Coens, O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU? in creating gorgeous, almost painterly textures, only without color here.
Where the Coens run into trouble is staying so stylized as to distance the audience from much emotional impact. Much of the emotional resonance of the movie leaks out not only because the movie sticks solely with Ed’s point of view, but because it does so with such dispassion. That aligns with Ed’s passivity – he has no particular interests until he stumbles upon young Birdy Abundas (Scarlett Johansson) playing Beethoven’s Pathetique Sonata – but this choice of perspective fails to elicit much power from the film’s central relationship between Ed and Doris.
The Coens are often accused by their critics of slinging condescension at their characters, and they have defenders who stand up for them with equal vociferousness. The truth is, as usual, somewhere in the middle. The Coens doubtlessly have tremendous affection for most of their creations, but on occasion, the decision to poke fun removes the humanity from them. Here, a couple of them become broad caricatures, notably tubby Frank, particularly during a blueberry pie eating contest, and Freddy Riedenschneider (Tony Shalhoub), a pricey, pompous attorney.
THE MAN WHO WASN’T THERE has numerous strong performances. Ed’s character naturally has little range, but Billy Bob Thornton makes him as affecting as possible given this limitation. McDormand is not given a lot to do, but she holds the screen with her presence like few actors. Polito, in a role that could easily have been John Turturro’s, gets just the right level of eagerness and insecurity. Scarlett Johansson makes another great career choice (along with this year’s GHOST WORLD) in not succumbing for easy money in the latest teen slasher flick, and she is deceivingly good here.
THE MAN WHO WASN’T THERE is never less than interesting while toying with languor, but it is also not quite the movie it could be.