The “series of unfortunate events” plot and dark humor through irony that’s so constant in the Coens’ writing starts to run very thin. It’s frustrating to know how every scene, how every line of The Man Who Wasn’t There will play out as soon as it begins. Ed Crane is a mediocre character, and even with an inner monologue he never convinces me he actually possesses feelings, and the same goes for the movie. Empty, directionless, and inhuman. By the directors’ own admission, this movie was inspired by nothing more than ’40s haircuts. You can tell.