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The Man Who Wasn't There

The Man Who Wasn't There

Crime · Drama · 2001

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.

Movie details

The Man Who Wasn't There

2001 Crime · Drama 1h 56m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.5 / 10

Community rating

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.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Man Who Wasn't There?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Joel Coen · Ethan Coen

Written by

Joel Coen · Ethan Coen

Billy Bob Thornton

Billy Bob Thornton

Ed Crane

Frances McDormand

Frances McDormand

Doris Crane

Michael Badalucco

Michael Badalucco

Frank

James Gandolfini

James Gandolfini

Big Dave Brewster

Katherine Borowitz

Katherine Borowitz

Ann Nirdlinger Brewster

Jon Polito

Jon Polito

Creighton Tolliver

Scarlett Johansson

Scarlett Johansson

Birdy Abundas

Court is in session

Put The Man Who Wasn't There on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.