--- title: "The Man Who Wasn't There: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-man-who-wasnt-there/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-man-who-wasnt-there" critics_score: 76 critics_reviews: 9 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Man Who Wasn't There (2001): what the critics said Critics' score 76 from 9 reviews: 7 positive, 2 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics respond favourably to the Coens’ restrained crime drama, with praise clustering around Roger Deakins’ black-and-white photography and Billy Bob Thornton’s performance as the withdrawn barber Ed Crane. The reviews admire the precise period detail, dry humour and philosophical concerns, finding plenty to consider beneath the noir plotting. Thornton’s stillness is generally seen as expressive rather than empty, while the photography gives the small-town setting depth and a sense of confinement. The main divide concerns how much feeling survives all that control: some critics find unexpected warmth, while others find the film cold and difficult to engage with. Screen Daily admires the craftsmanship and Thornton but finds the cerebral approach emotionally distancing; the Evening Standard argues that the story loses its way before the finish. Slow pacing, a passive protagonist and familiar Coen quirks recur as reservations, though most reviews regard them as limitations rather than decisive failures. ## The AV Club — Keith Phipps Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 29 March 2002. The Coens craft a precise, funny, and thematically rich black-and-white noir that blends genre conventions with deeper philosophical and historical resonance. Thornton’s alienated everyman anchors a world where existential themes play out in everyday settings. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/the-man-who-wasnt-there-1798194971) ## Total Film Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 26 October 2001. The black-and-white cinematography by Roger Deakins adds depth, and there is more emotional warmth than usual with Fargo-esque humanity. The Coens deliver a gripping, amusing and accomplished work that will delight their fans. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/the-man-who-wasnt-there-review/) ## Empire — Kim Newman Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. The Coens riff on James M. Cain in a chilly black-and-white style with a passive, uncommitted hero. It is a gripping, unusual and challenging work from consistently brilliant filmmakers, though slowly paced with an off-putting lead. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/man-2-review/) ## Radio Times — Andrew Collins Rating 4/5. The Coens deliver a complex and clever period crime drama that is more introspective than their usual comic mania. Sublime acting from Thornton and McDormand, aided by Deakins' photography, makes it the most introspective entry in their canon and on a par with Fargo. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-d5z7qi/the-man-who-wasnt-there/) ## Time Out — GA Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2012. The Coens' meditative and arty crime movie, inspired by Cain but neither noir nor thriller, is a brave and largely successful attempt to explore the inner workings of someone who simply doesn't feel the way most people do. It is helped no end by Billy Bob Thornton's supremely eloquent performance. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-man-who-wasnt-there) ## Slant Magazine — Ed Gonzalez Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 22 October 2001. The Coens deliver a visually elegant noir tribute with strong period atmosphere and a sympathetic lead performance from Thornton. The film is undercut by overly familiar Coen quirks and reliance on noir tropes. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-man-who-wasnt-there/) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 14 May 2001. Festival review. The Coens' ambitious black-and-white period piece is sumptuously mounted and visually striking, with a brilliant performance by Thornton as a banal small-town barber. However, its detached, cerebral approach deconstructs film noir sources from a coldly calculated perspective, making it easier to admire than to like or engage with emotionally. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/the-man-who-wasnt-there/405725.article) ## Evening Standard Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). The film is finely fabricated art with ravishing black-and-white photography and interlocking events that give pleasure for much of its length. It runs out of story before the end, however, with a detour into science fiction that feels like a fatal misstep. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/the-smoking-barber-from-mars-7433094.html) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan 31 October 2001. The review calls the film an existential film noir comedy that is chilly yet amusing. It praises the Coens' assured fun with genres and the crystalline black-and-white photography that recreates a claustrophobic noir world. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-oct-31-ca-63670-story.html) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert 2 November 2001. The critic praises the elegant black-and-white cinematography and Billy Bob Thornton's mournful performance as the trapped barber Ed Crane. He notes the film's leisurely pace as a potential drawback in its noir plotting but ultimately admires its stylistic assurance. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-man-who-wasnt-there-2001) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw 26 October 2001. The critic calls it the Coen brothers' masterpiece and the best American film of the year. He singles out Billy Bob Thornton's reticent, stoic performance as the taciturn barber Ed Crane for particular praise. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2001/oct/26/coenbrothers) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane 29 October 2001. The critic commends the precise black-and-white style and exacting eye for small-town minutiae. He complains about some over-the-top performances and finds the film's overall finesse nerdish and unbreathable. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2001/11/05/in-the-shadows) ## The New York Times — A. O. Scott 31 October 2001. The review describes the film's progression from a passive, invisible protagonist to one who becomes ruinous yet glowing. It singles out the Coens' intelligent movie-ness, generosity with details, and surprising bits of acting for praise. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/31/movies/film-review-first-passive-and-invisible-then-ruinous-and-glowing.html) ## Variety Rating **. 14 May 2001. Festival review. The review finds the Coens' noir tale of adultery, blackmail and murder less tasty than their best work or Cain's, with a passive title character. It notes the beautiful craftsmanship but criticizes the muted action and lack of dramatic heat. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2001/film/awards/the-man-who-wasn-t-there-2-1200468394/) ## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray Rating 4.5/5. 24 August 2001. Festival review. The critic finds the film's central character too passive and unengaging despite the Coens' ironic twists and strong supporting cast. The black-and-white neo-noir is undermined by unconvincing plot elements and an overly expressionless lead performance. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-man-who-wasnt-there-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-man-who-wasnt-there.md