The Ladykillers Movie Review 2004

It takes an actor with a lot of gumption to take on a classic role that was played by the classiest of thespians, Alec Guinness, but Hanks (as G.H. Dorr, Ph.D.) takes to the task with gusto and mostly positive results. In this quirky remake of the 1955 British offering, the setting shifts to Mississippi, where the robbers attempt to burrow from little old lady Mrs. Munson's (Hall) basement to the nearby casino's money room. While Hall is superb and Hanks is often dynamic as he plows through ornate speeches with a wicked laugh, it will depend on your tolerance for flowery language and a mannered Southern drawl whether you think it's melodious or annoying. Overall enjoyable, if uneven effort by the Coen brothers falls a bit short of the original.

Distribution

Buena Vista Home Entertainment, 500 S. Buena Vista St., Burbank, CA 91521-1120, Toll-free: 800-723-4763, URL: http://www.bvhe.com

Available on DVD
Running time 104 minutes.
Originally from United States.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Black Comedy, Scams, Stings & Cons, American South, Heists: Casinos, Crime Doesn't Pay

Screenplay

Ethan Coen, Joel Coen

Cast

Tom Hanks, Irma P. Hall, Marlon Wayans, J.K. Simmons, Tzi Ma, Ryan Hurst, Diane Delano, George Wallace, John McConnell, Stephen (Steve) Root, Jason Weaver, Greg Grunberg, Blake Clark, Jeremy Suarez

Cinematography

Roger Deakins

Director

Ethan Coen, Joel Coen

Music

Carter Burwell

Other

Peter Kurland, T-Bone Burnett, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, Richard Johnson, Mary Zophres, Dennis Gassner

Producer

Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, Tom Jacobson, Barry Josephson, Barry Sonnenfeld, Touchstone Pictures, Buena Vista