The Ladykillers (2004)

Starring: Tom Hanks, Irma P. Hall, J.K. Simmons, Tzi Ma, Ryan Hurst, Marlon Wayans, Stephen Root

Director: Joel and Ethan Coen

The Lowdown: An eccentric professor (Tom Hanks) rents a room from an elderly widow under false pretenses so that he and his equally eccentric crew (J.K. Simmons, Tzi Ma, Ryan Hurst, Marlon Wayans) can proceed to carry out a well planned heist at a nearby riverboat casino. When the widow is suspicious of the crew it is decided she must die. Hi-jinks ensue.

My Take:Anybody who knows me is well aware that I love The Coen Brothers and consider them to be the very best writing/directing team around and await eagerly for each new Coen film to released. Their masterpieces "Fargo", "No Country for Old Men", "The Big Lebowski" and "Miller's Crossing" are amongst my favorite films. Additionally, I consider most of their other films to be on the same level as those greats. Unfortunately, "The Ladykillers" does not make that list and is very much a second tier Coen film.

Perhaps the film's biggest stumbling block is its pacing, the first act, a string of short clips establishing each of the main characters, moves at an incredibly slow pace and is not effective at introducing most of the players. Similarly, their are a number of scenes that could have been trimmed to make the film tighter and arrive to the execution of the heist more quickly. There's also the occasional joke that falls a bit flat, a rarity for the Coens.

That said, a second rate Coen Brothers film is better than the first rate films of many directors and "The Ladykillers" still has a lot to offer fans of the Coen's previous work. First of all, the cinematography from Roger Deakins, the Coen's go to DP, is terrific in its sense of lighting and adds a touch of beauty that blends in surprisingly well with the film's darker sense of humor.

The ensemble cast is also at the top of their game. J.K. Simmons and Tzi Ma are both perfectly cast and make for memorable characters. Even Marlon Wayans salvages a somewhat memorable and, shockingly, not annoying performance. It is also refreshing to see Tom Hanks in his first comedic role in years, and in a villainous role at that. Hanks appears to be having fun and gives the eccentric professor qualities that are simultaneously devilish and buffoonish. Special mention should also go to Irma P. Hall who more than holds her own against Hanks and the others in a terrific turn as the elderly widow.

Best Moment: What ultimately rescues the film is its third act which bumps the flick up to being a minor masterpiece of dark comedy, as the crew's plan goes painfully and hilariously wrong in a climax that nobody can pull off as well as the Coen Brothers.

In Short: While its ultimately a lesser entry in Coen compendium "The Ladykillers" manages to still a be a memorable and often hilarious comedy with a delightfully dark climax, and one of Tom Hank's funniest roles in ages.

7 out of 10