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The Man Who Wasn't There

7.3

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Original title

The Man Who Wasn't There

Year

2001

Running time

116 min.

Country

United States

Director

Joel Coen

Screenwriter

Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

Cast

Music

Carter Burwell

Cinematography

Roger Deakins (B&W)

Producer

USA Films

Genre

Drama. Film noir | Black Comedy. 1940s. Crime. Neo-noir

Synopsis

In the summer of 1949, Ed Crane (Billy Bob Thornton), the local barber in a small northern California town, is dissatisfied with his life. In the hopes of turning his life around, he decides to use his wife's (Frances McDormand) infidelity in a blackmailing scheme. As his plan unravels, however, dark secrets are uncovered, leading to murder.

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Rankings Position

#87 Best Film Noir Movies
#147 Best Crime Movies

Awards: 2001: Nominated for Oscar: Best Cinematography

2001: Golden Globes Awards: 3 Nominations: Movie Drama, Actor Drama, Screenplay

2001: Cannes Film Festival: Best Director. Nominated for Palme d´Or (Golden Palm)

2001: BAFTA Awards: Best Cinematography

2001: Cesar Awards: Nominated for Best Foreign Language Picture

2001: David di Donatello Awards: Best Foreign Film

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Critics' reviews

"The look, feel and ingenuity of this film are so lovingly modulated you wonder if anyone else could have done it better than the Coens. Probably not. (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)"

Roger Ebert: rogerebert.com
"A gripping, unusual and challenging work from the most consistently brilliant filmmakers of the last decade (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"

Kim Newman: Empire
"'Man' is steadily engrossing and devilishly funny, and, o brother, does it look sharp (...) 'Man' hauntingly evokes such Forties film-noir classics as 'Double Indemnity'"

Peter Travers: Rolling Stone
"Despite its visual brilliance, its all-round cleverness, and the way it demonstrates a profound understanding of genre, the Coen brothers' The Man Who Wasn't There doesn't quite come off"

New York Post
"A brave and largely successful attempt to explore the inner workings of someone who simply doesn't feel the way most of us do"

Time Out
"The Coen brothers tread into James M. Cain territory with 'The Man Who Wasn’t There,' but with less tasty results than either Cain or the Coens themselves at their best."

Todd McCarthy: Variety
"A haunting, beautifully made movie that refers to nothing outside itself and that disperses like a vapor as soon as it's over"

A. O. Scott: The New York Times

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Ranking Lists Position

19 My Top 10 Movies from 2001 (189)
72 My Favorite Noir Movies (67)

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The Man Who Wasn't There

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