FBMR - The Ladykillers
Film-Buff Movie Reviews


THE LADYKILLERS (2004) ***

A remake of the 1955 British film of the same name, the Coen Brothers put their own spin on the story, setting it in the American South. Tom Hanks assumes the role, originally played by Sir Alec Guinness, of the leader of a band of crooks who rent a room from an elderly lady. They pose as musicians so they can practice in her root cellar when in fact they're tunneling to the secret office a boat casino uses to hold its money. When she stumbles upon their operation and starts to question whether they truly are musicians, the only solution to their problem is to get rid of the old lady, which proves much more difficult than foreseen.

I like the Coen Brothers very much. I like their style of filming and writing. There are some very funny moments in this film, but I’d have to say that it’s not one of their best. Tom Hanks is quite over-the-top … a little too much, I found. I think that was the point, though. His character was a caricature, a scholar who liked to sound very scholarly all the time. In fact, all of the characters had their foibles that made them likable, yet somewhat irritating as well. Then again … who in life isn’t at times?

This movie was fun, but not any more or less fun that the original. Both are worth a look.