The Ladykillers
It's a Coen brothers film, so that should give you an idea of what to expect. I, for one, do not like the majority of their work; The Big Lebowski being the major exception. Now having that already in the record books, The Ladykillers was pretty much a complete bore. As much of a bore as I found O Brother, Where Art Thou?. That's a really big bore for all you playing along at home. I figured that having Tom Hanks in the lead role and Marlon Wayans on the side (who can be a great actor in the proper role), it had to have it's pluses. It had a few, but not even enough to count on one hand. Unless you only have 2 fingers on one of your hands and no thumb. Tom Hanks played a southern gentleman, properly filling all the known stereotypes that we learned from watching Warner Bros. cartoons as children. And really that's all I got out of the film. I did like the character of The General, though. Mainly because he really didn't talk much and when he was in the center of the action it was pretty entertaining (there was your 2 fingers worth of entertainment).
If you loved O Brother, Where Art Thou?, then you'll probably love this pile. If you are part of the oppostite spectrum, may I suggest you find a different film to rent.
I'll give The Ladykillers 1 out of a possible 5 burnt apple pies because The General was actually pretty cool.
2 Comments:
Thanks for the warning!
Saw the original in anticipation for this one, but think we'll let it sit until the $1 rack, or more. Still trying to get over "Terminal".
Obe Wan in the original steals the show with smart subtle nuances making you twitch for the rewind button for days...
I like O Brother. And like the Coen's in general, but this one was only fair. Just like Intolerable Cruelty was only fair.
Maybe part of the problem stems from the need to make Foxx's mouth and the smacking of it so much of the humor of the movie.
Or the memory of Alec Guinness camping up the original. How a man can seem so normal and then break into totally natural Peter Lorre moments is beyond me. Watching him clinging to the bridge in the original and he seems like some demented gargoyle. It totally surpasses Hank's goofy laugh. Hanks never seems scary.
I liked the ideas of the characters (was speculating with Dean if Mountain Girl was the same from Kesey's Merry Pranksters (ala The Electric Koolaid Acid Test) and 'good friend' of Jerry Garcia). Unfortunately the General was a one trick pony (how many times can they do the hidden cigarette in the mouth trick?), Jamie Foxx was mostly annoying, Lump was too obvious, and Pancake was limited to IBS and being Foxx's foil.
I did crack up when Pancake was lecturing Foxx about the Freedom Riders and Foxx yells...'you know man, I don't vote!"
That said volumes to me along with Miz Munson's walk and her skeptical mm-hmm.
Check out the 1955 version. It's not a comedy, but Guinness' acting is worth it.
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