| Overall Grade: |
B+ |
|
| Story: |
B+ |
|
|
| Acting: |
B+ |
|
|
| Direction: |
B+ |
|
|
| Visuals: |
B+ |
|
|
The man who was there but forgot 2 bring an Oscar
by TonyM (movies profile)
Mar 2, 2008
‘The Man Who wasn’t There’ is a film based on the writings of the Coen brothers and directed by Joel Coen, in the movie we follow fortunes of chain-smoking second chair Barbour Ed Crane played with morose brilliance by Billy Bob Thornton. Ed has no ‘real’ interest in the life he lives and any energy or reason to put any effort into his life to improve on his situation. Frances 'Fargo' McDormand who plays the restless wife of Ed, Doris Crane, is for ever trying to put some life back into her man but she has begun to loose patience. Filmed in black and white to give the film a more dated fifties look, when Big Dave Brewster played by Sopranos stalwart James Gandolfini announces at Christmas party that he opening a bigger and flasher super store, ed takes little interest, his interest has been piqued by the piano playing ability of Birdy Abundas played by the shy looking Scarlett Johansson. When a man just catches Ed as he closing the shop for the day; and the two get talking. The man Creighton Tolliver as played excellently by Jon Polito. The man explains he is looking for investment in the cleaning process of the future dry cleaning, this gets Ed thinking, if he could get the money together he could kill two birds with one stone. Earlier he had caught Big Dave in a compromising position with his wife Doris, he over heard that there was money in the store safe.
The story continues in classic Coen brother style with twists and turns you do not see coming; an over looked classic in my opinion. |
My Public Profile 
