The Ladykillers (Widescreen Edition)
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DVD details
Actor: Irma P. Hall, J.K. Simmons, Marlon Wayans, Tom Hanks, Tzi MaBrand: Buena Vista Home Video
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 5.1; Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1
Format: Closed-captioned, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 104 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-09-07
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Walt Disney Video
Product features:
- Academy Award(R)-winning Tom Hanks (Best Actor, FORREST GUMP, 1994; PHILADELPHIA, 1993) turns in a hilariously original performance in THE LADYKILLERS, the laugh-out-loud comedy that explodes with outrageous wit and slapstick humor from the Coen Brothers (O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU?, FARGO). Underneath Professor G.H. Dorr's (Hanks) silver-tongued southern gentleman persona is a devious criminal
DVD Reviews of The Ladykillers (Widescreen Edition)
DVD Review: Don't make me wanna go hippety-hop.
Summary: 4 Stars
When you watch a Coen brother's film, you never know what to expect. I have stated before that I normally go into these films not expecting anything. Even if I have seen the preview, with the Coens you never know if they will keep you on the Hollywood path. Luckily, they do not. The Coens are notorious (or at least becoming notorious) for making films that seem mainstream, but after careful viewing you realize that they are not. The Ladykillers is unlike any work they have done before. I may be biased because I have not seen the original version with Sir Alec Guinness, but I thought this was a very well directed film. The Coen's have not forgotten their roots and are a pair of directors that are not afraid to experiment with audiences. I was a fan of Intolerable Cruelty and pretty much every single one of their films, so I can say that with the sincerest confidence. This film was nothing short of spectacular. The Coens crafted this film using big names, small names, ingenious shots, a powerful story, and most importantly hidden messages throughout. This is no O' Brother, Where Art Thou?, but it does stand on its own two feet.
I have read reviews that complain about Hanks performance in this film, but to this reviewer it was flawless. The character that he portrays is hysterical and defined. I am impressed with Hanks ability to control this character and make us become interested in him. The expressions alone on Hanks face during this film alone are worth the price of the rental or theater ticket. His banter with Marva Munson (aka Irma P. Hall) is outstanding. Never have I seen such a complete connection between these two characters. I longed for more interactions between them just so that I could witness the Coen's cinematic genius in action. Hanks couldn't have done it alone though. Thanks to Irma Hall, he has the perfect person to counter his dastardly narratives. She nearly steals the scenes from Hanks. Thankfully, their banter is equally sided and enjoyable. I can not be the only one that thinks this since Irma won top prizes at Cannes for her work in this film. It was the characters in this film that gave us the juicy center to a very tasty pie known as The Ladykillers. I have spoken about Hanks and Hall, but so much can be said about Wayans job and the rest of the crew. They each had their own defined actions and personalities that it kept my attention throughout. The great obsession about the Coens is that they take you in so many directions. From the opening scene, you assume that you have the time frame figured out, but thanks to Wayans character you are never sure when this film takes place. This film felt like a classic picture with modern day undertones. I think that was the utmost purpose of the Coens when the decided to remake this film. They didn't want to change it completely, but they wanted to just add onto it. I don't want to go too deeply into this because of my lack of knowing about the original film, but just from watching this version, you get that feeling.
Secondly, I would like to add that coupled with the acting is some of the most beautiful cinematography to grace the silver screen. It plays a dual role in this film by not only setting the stage for events to come, but also helps create the very dark theme. The gargoyles, the barge, and even the police station seemed to be from a different world, giving the viewer a mythical feeling. There were times that the Coens had been reading children's books when filming this movie. There were several scenes that I felt came right from children's literature. The barge and Hanks' character are just two of the instances.
I do not have much to complain about with this film. I love the Coen brother's films and I will continue to pay my money each time they release something. They are never similar and each time push the envelope of reality. I especially loved in this film the battle between "good" and "evil". One could easily argue that this film was nothing more than a creative way of showing a battle between God and the Devil. There was so many spiritual references throughout the film that you couldn't help wonder if the Coens weren't trying to convert you midway through the film. Ah, I enjoyed this film. Everything from the classic picture on the wall (with changing faces), to the dimwitted burglars, to the beautiful gospel music, all the way to the over-the-top performances by Hanks and Hall, this film was nothing short of perfection. The Coens continue to make quality films that do not speak to the mass audiences, and there is nothing wrong with that. They have their own style and wit, which makes them one of the most creative directors in Hollywood!
Grade: **** out of *****
Description of The Ladykillers (Widescreen Edition)
Academy Award(R)-winning Tom Hanks (Best Actor, FORREST GUMP, 1994; PHILADELPHIA, 1993) turns in a hilariously original performance in THE LADYKILLERS, the laugh-out-loud comedy that explodes with outrageous wit and slapstick humor from the Coen Brothers (O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU?, FARGO). Underneath Professor G.H. Dorr's (Hanks) silver-tongued southern gentleman persona is a devious criminal who has assembled a motley gang of thieves to commit the heist of the century by tunneling through his churchgoing landlady's root cellar to a casino's vault of riches. But these cons are far from pros. As their scheme begins blowing up in their faces, their landlady smells a rat. And when she threatens to call the police, they figure they'll just bump her off. After all, how hard can that be? Wickedly funny from start to finish, it would be a crime to miss THE LADYKILLERS.If you've never enjoyed Alec Guinness in the classic 1955 British comedy that inspired it, the Coen brothers' remake of The Ladykillers may well prove hilarious. For starters, it's got Tom Hanks in a variation of the Guinness role, eccentrically channeling Colonel Sanders, Tennessee Williams, and Edgar Allan Poe in his southern-fried performance as Prof. Goldthwait Higgins Dorr, Ph.D. (named after an actual arts institute curator from the Coens' native Minnesota), a deliciously verbose con man who needs a secret headquarters for his five-man plot to rob a riverboat casino moored on the Mississippi. In the film's funniest and least-caricatured role (and even she can't elude the Coens' comedic stereotyping), Irma P. Hall plays the churchgoing widow who rents a room to Dorr, whose crew of "musicians" (in keeping with the original's plot) use the lady's root cellar to tunnel to the casino's cash-rich counting room. Rampant mishaps ensue, the body count rises among Dorr's band of idiots (including Marlon Wayans, spouting nonstop profanities), and the Coens put their uniquely stylish stamp on everything. It's a funny movie, allowing for some nagging flatness to the material, but if you've seen the original (and other vintage comedies from the heyday of Britain's low-budget Ealing Studios), you'll eventually wonder, what were they thinking? Accounting for all the qualities that grace any Coen movie (this being the first time the brothers have officially shared directorial credit), this revamped Ladykillers is a mixed blessing, both entertaining and superfluous. --Jeff Shannon
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