| Movie Review of "The Man Who Wasn�t There" This is, what the critics call, a return to form for the Coen Brothers. Their previous effort �O Bother, Woe Art Thou�, I mean, �O Brother, Where Art Thou?� left critics divided between the thin line of love and hate. I nearly snored in that film, so it was with a certain degree of trepidation that I approached this one. Of course, it features Frances McDormand, whom I respect for being one of today�s truly versatile actresses. This time round, instead of product-placing an unheard-of brand of hair cream and forcing some degree of depth from one man�s level of obsession with said hair cream, the Coens recreate film noir. The story is set in California of the 1940s and revolves around a barber (a tour de force performance by Billy Bob Thornton) and how one decision sets off a screwball effect for the other parts of his life, spinning off the entire movie into a thriller not without its comic undertones. Like most Coen Bros movies (with the possible exception of �Fargo�), the plot often takes the silver medal to characterisation. And this is where Billy Bob Thornton truly shines. Years down the road, tobacco companies throughout the world will be clamouring for the rights to this movie, because Thornton might somehow have successfully pulled off making cigarette-smoking cool. Or maybe it was the light. The entire film is shot in black-and-white, and unlike �Pleasantville�, the art direction here was truly stunning. Anyway, I like the film, and you all should go see it, and with me loving something I should be snarky towards, cue the digression onto something else altogether. And this something else is really a someone else, who goes by the name Scarlett Johansson. Miss Johansson also puts up an admirable performance in �Ghost World�, and I didn�t know she was in this film until the opening credits. Like I said, trepidation led me to a disregard for who were in the cast, although I would definitely have run the other way if I knew beforehand that George Clooney were in it. Before you log off and run off to the cineplex, he�s not in this one. You can continue reading. Gosh, y�all who read this. Anyhow, back to better-looking things, Scarlett (we�re on first name basis now) plays the daughter of the town lawyer whom Thornton�s character goes to for help. He becomes taken with Scarlett (who wouldn�t, I ask you, who wouldn�t?) and somehow on top of all his problems, gets round to obsessing over her piano-playing skills. I thank the Coens for having the good taste to not make her play the flute or something. Things like that should be left to the Farrelly Brothers. That�s all you need to know about Scarlett�s role in the film. But Scarlett is great. I say this from having seen two of her movies (both of which I�m inclined to see again, and not only for her). She is easily one of the most talented teenage actresses I�ve seen. Her role in �Ghost World� kinda reminds me of Donna in �That 70s Show� � the epitome of cool chick with a brain of her own. But here in �The Man Who ��, Scarlett plays a teenager who doesn�t really know what to do with herself and her self-esteem isn�t exactly high, and she portrays this with admirable realism. Those of you who have seen the movie will realise that she really is a minor character so why am I devoting so many lines to her? Because. Scarlett Johansson deserves to take up the roles that less-talented teen �actresses� like Jennifer Love Hewitt�s boobs (because I think they were actually credited in �I Still Know What You Did Last Summer�), Julia Stiles and her limited facial range of emotions (it�s that pissed-off look, you know what I�m talking about already) and Leelee Sobeebee (we already have one Helen Hunt, and that�s one more than we need, so go away already). Add to that upcoming �acting� projects from Britney Spears and I think I�ve made my point. Johansson, like her gal pal Thora Birch in �Ghost World�, can outact any of them, anyday. Scarlett, be mine. R.D.�s rating : There ain�t nothing like a HOUND DAWG when it comes to �The Man�. But Scarlett makes River Dawg wanna raaawwk!!! (What�s a hound dawg? Check out R.D.�s rating system here.) |