Following last years surprise sleeper success of "O Brother Where Art Thou?", The Coen brother's return with their finest film to date. That might seem like a high benchmark, but it's true.

"The Man Who Wasn't There" was always going to be an acquired taste. If you only came of know of Billy Bob Thornton as Angelina Jolie's husband or in "Armageddon", be prepared to rethink completely: His subtle and measured performance here as Barber Ed Crane slowly getting caught up in a web of embezzlement, unfaithfulness and murder in small-town 40's America is surely worthy of an Oscar.

Perhaps the most unusual thing about this film is this; made in authentic film noir style everyone smokes, the period detail is impeccable, and the bold move to show it in black and white (though filmed in colour) pays off immensely, adding expressiveness to the performances.

At times, it seems like its gonna end at any moment, but never does, instead building into yet another plot twist that throws you of completely. As a moral fable of how a man loses all he holds dear because of greed, tries to do right and yet fails due to his own
desire for revenge, complete with the left-field off the wall dreamlike sequences you'd expect from the Coen's (involving a Lolita-esque subplot and conspiracy theories), this film has a lot to recommend for it, not simply just to Billy Bob Thornton's performance, for it is a finely constructed, well scripted tale.

It's not your average dumb multiplex fare, but much more rewarding for it too. Highly recommended.

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