The Man Who Wasn't There

The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)

  • 81% of critics liked it
    (154 reviews)

  • 81% of users liked it
    (37,841 ratings)

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-drinking wife Doris (Frances McDormand) of having an affair with her boss (James Gandolfini). When a… More

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R, 1 hr. 57 min.
Directed By
Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Written By
Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Genres
Drama, Romance, Comedy
In Theaters
Oct 31, 2001 Wide
On DVD
Apr 16, 2002
USA Films

Critic Reviews

  • Richard Schickel, TIME Magazine

    Affectlessness is not a quality much prized in movie protagonists, but Billy Bob Thornton, that splendid actor, does it perfectly as Ed Crane.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Eric Harrison, Houston Chronicle

    Despite the movie's humor and sense of irony, it takes on a sense of somberness as it progresses.

  • Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

    A paradoxical film even by the Coen brothers' standards: a painstakingly crafted throwaway.

Read all 22 critic 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)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Chris W


    The 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… More

  • Graham J


    A 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.

  • Coxxie M


    Definitely 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.

  • Kase V


    The 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.

  • danny d


    very 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… More

Read all 20 featured audience ratings

Cast

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