Over the last five years, the Coen brothers (writer/director Joel and writer/producer Ethan) have become two of America's best filmmakers. It started in 1996 with the Academy Award wining "Fargo" and then continued with 1998's "The Big Lebowski" and last year's "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" And prior to that they had already made a number of outstanding films.

Their consistency, reliability and originality is most impressive. It continues with their latest, "The Man Who Wasn't There."

Billy Bob Thornton is Ed Crane, a barber working for his brother-in-law Frank (Michael Badalucco). Ed is married to Frank's sister Doris (Frances McDormand), but they aren't exactly close.

Ed is a quiet guy that keeps to himself. He doesn't have any friends and likes it that way. Around people he is nervous and awkward.

Unfortunately, Doris is much more social than her husband. She works at a department store for Dave Brewster (James Gandolfini). After having dinner with Dave and his wife, Ed suspects that Doris is having an affair with the man. Not that he cares much. It's a free country, he remarks, after acknowledging his suspicion.

By chance Ed comes across an entrepreneur named Creighton Tolliver (Jon Polito) and finds the chance to do something for a change. Creighton is trying to start a dry cleaning business. All he needs is the capital. If Ed can get the money, they can be partners and split everything down the middle.

To come up with the $10,000 that he needs, Ed decides to blackmail Dave. He sends him a note stating that he is an anonymous individual who knows about the affair, and he must cough up $10,000 in cash unless he wants the whole world to find out who he's been sleeping with. Since the department store Dave runs is actually owned by his in-laws, this poses a serious problem for him.

Dave confides in Ed one evening, giving him details without ever divulging specifics. Ed suggests that Dave pay up, which he eventually does. This starts a series of twists and turns that continues throughout the movie.

Set in California in 1949, "The Man Who Wasn't There" is in gorgeous black and white. The cinematography by the marvelous Roger Deakins, the Coen's regular cameraman, is breathtaking and worth the price of admission on its own.

The cast, which includes Green Bay native Tony Shalhoub ("13 Ghosts") as a smarmy lawyer, is magnificent, but this is Thornton's show. He has never been better. His sparse narration perfectly matches his character, making this the rare film where narration is an asset and not a detriment.

There are a few moments where the plot becomes clunky and predictable, but for the most part it will keep you guessing and the ending packs a good surprise. This is as good as modern film noir gets, done in a way that is all Coen brothers. No one else could have made a movie like this. The style, the humor and the characters are all their own.

"The Man Who Wasn't There" (a perfect title) is the Coen's at their best. Fans of their work will be pleased, but it also has the broad appeal of "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" Hopefully this film will find as wide an audience as that one.

"The Man Who Wasn't There" opens Fri., Nov. 9 at Landmark's Oriental Theatre. Click here for showtimes.