Following last year's 'O' Brother Where Art Thou', the Coen brothers
deliver another remarkable story about unremarkable people. The film
takes place in the late 1940's, shortly after World War 2, shot in
black and white with wonderful cinematography by Oscar-nominee Roger
Deakins. Witty and intellegent dialog are the strongest parts about
this film, however. Ed Crane (Billy Bob Thorton) is a quiet low-key
barber whose wife Doris (Frances McDormand) is cheating on him with her
boss (played by James Gandolfini). Aware of this, Ed finds a way to
blackmail her boss for $10,000. Ed is a simple man but from that moment
on his life is forever changed. There are many surprises in the film,
not including a crazy invention called "dry cleaning" (which is why Ed
needs the $10,000). 'The Man,...' earned Joel Coen a Best Director
award at the Cannes Film Festival beside David Lynch for 'Mulholland
Drive'. Expect to see another Academy Award nomination for Best
Screenplay.
