The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)

[The Great Owl]

I just finished watching my Universal Blu-ray of The Man Who Wasn't There.

The Blu-ray transfer looks good, and, in fact, it looks really good during many moments. I cannot help thinking, however, that it could look spectacular with a more thorough restoration. That's basically how the cookie crumbles here. I'm impressed with this disc, but there's a "What could have been?" thought in the back of my head. I'd like to imagine that this could have been an incredible presentation of a black-and-white film, but, as it is, it does the trick quite nicely.

It's funny that, as much as I love classic-era film noir, I had never seen The Man Who Wasn't There before, considering that it's an effective homage to the genre, with overt nods to The Asphalt Jungle, The Postman Always Rings Twice, and other such classic-era films noir.

I have an on/off switch when it comes to Coen Brothers films, and, thankfully, The Man Who Wasn't There is one of their films that flicks the switch on. I think that it's one of their best. It's not quite up to the level of No Country For Old Men or Blood Simple, but it sits well alongside Fargo on the shelf in terms of being a neo-noir with contemporary flashes.