The Ladykillers
***
R, 104 m with Tom Hanks, Marlon Wayans and Irma P. Hall. Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Opens tomorrow.
"The Ladykillers" is a stylishly modern remake of the 1955 film of the same name about an attempt to rob a casino by digging through an old Southern churchgoing woman's basement. The theme is signature subject matter for the writer-director team the Coen brothers, who have crafted several dark comedies including "Fargo" and "The Big Lebowski."
To get a rough idea of what "The Ladykillers" is like, consider the following: Combine an awesomely zany and fairly vindictive cat reminiscent of the one in "That Darn Cat," the slick yet haphazard robbery style of the recent "Ocean's 11" and the darkness of "Snatch" - minus the grittiness and British people - and you will begin to see what "The Ladykillers" is all about.
The robbery is masterminded by Professor Goldthwait Higginson Dorr, excellently played by Tom Hanks. Dorr is a suave, well-educated and wordy Southern gentleman who makes for a fun and wacky character. The innocent and sweet church lady, Marva Munson, whose basement is the setting for the robbery, is wonderfully played by Irma P. Hall. Dorr convinces Munson that he is looking for a nice basement for practice space for his band of musicians, who are actually his partners in crime. When Munson finds out what is going on, Dorr and company decide they will have to kill her, which turns out to be a more difficult task than they had expected.
The crew of criminals consists of Gawain McSam (Marlon Wayans), an unstable, would-be "gangsta" who, posing as a casino custodian, is the in-man for the crime; the General (Tzi Ma), a Vietnamese tunneling expert who says little but is quick as a cat and trained in deadly martial arts; Garth Pancake (J.K. Simmons), the explosives specialist who constantly screws up; and Lump Hudson (Ryan Hurst), a local football player who is not very smart but is the muscle of the operation.
All of the crew is very eccentric and funny, although the General is possibly the funniest among them not only because of his seriousness during awkward and humorous situations, but also for the fact that he is forced to hide his constantly smoked cigarette in his mouth whenever Munson comes down to the basement to check up on the band.
The characters are the strongest part of "The Ladykillers" because all of their individual quirks and habits make them endearing to the viewer despite their devious intentions. You feel the robbers' pain as they bumble their way in and out of complications to their perfect heist. In the end, what the characters do comes back to haunt them.
The film has bright and colorful imagery, yet it has a very dark sense of humor. Repetition of themes and imagery are also well-done and help contribute to the effectiveness of the film. Ultimately "The Ladykillers" is clever, well-made and well-written. It is a thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable film.
