Southern story
I watched The Ladykillers, co-directed by Joel and Ethan Cohen, this week. I liked it even better than O Brother, Where Art Thou? In the film, the elderly Marva Munson, a church-going widow who donates regularly to Bob Jones University, rents her spare room to the talkative professor Goldwaith Higginson Dorr (played by Tom Hanks). Unbeknownst to Munson, Dorr has ulterior reasons for wanting to take up residence in her home. Her gracious Southern house practically abuts the underground vault of the nearby Bandit Queen Casino. Not only that, Munson's house has a convenient root cellar from which the cunning Dorr plans to tunnel into the vault.
To gain uninterrupted access to the root cellar, Dorr tells the gullible widow that he needs a rehearsal space for his medieval musical group. (Knowing she is a religious woman, Dorr notes that most of his group's works were "commissioned by the Holy See!" What a hoot!) Of course, Dorr's "musicians" are nothing more than conspirators to his plan. What ensues is an engaging criminal caper movie featuring some of the most interesting characters I've seen on the modern screen.
Tough-talking Gawain (Marlon Wayans) works on the casino's janitorial staff; Pancake (J.K. Simmons) is a camera prop-man with explosives expertise; the tight-lipped General (Tzi Ma) is valuable to the team due to his tunneling abilities; and vacuous Lump is the brawn behind the enterprise. Of course, the poetry-reciting Dorr is the mastermind behind the entire plan. While the bumbling team of thieves is successful in stealing the money, their erstwhile landlord caught on to the crime. When Dorr tries to convince her to take a share of the money in return for her silence, she refuses, insisting that the money be returned and the whole gang attend church with her the following Sunday.
After a brief conference, the criminals decide that someone has to kill the old lady.
I thought this was a fabulous film. I wouldn't call it belly-laugh funny, but it will definitely keep you smiling throughout. Hanks is superb as Dorr, playing a character unlike any I've seen him play before. Irma P. Hall, who plays the squeaky-clean Marva Munson, is also a highlight. The ironic ending, and particularly the final destination of the pilfered money, were both clever surprises.
To gain uninterrupted access to the root cellar, Dorr tells the gullible widow that he needs a rehearsal space for his medieval musical group. (Knowing she is a religious woman, Dorr notes that most of his group's works were "commissioned by the Holy See!" What a hoot!) Of course, Dorr's "musicians" are nothing more than conspirators to his plan. What ensues is an engaging criminal caper movie featuring some of the most interesting characters I've seen on the modern screen.
Tough-talking Gawain (Marlon Wayans) works on the casino's janitorial staff; Pancake (J.K. Simmons) is a camera prop-man with explosives expertise; the tight-lipped General (Tzi Ma) is valuable to the team due to his tunneling abilities; and vacuous Lump is the brawn behind the enterprise. Of course, the poetry-reciting Dorr is the mastermind behind the entire plan. While the bumbling team of thieves is successful in stealing the money, their erstwhile landlord caught on to the crime. When Dorr tries to convince her to take a share of the money in return for her silence, she refuses, insisting that the money be returned and the whole gang attend church with her the following Sunday.
After a brief conference, the criminals decide that someone has to kill the old lady.
I thought this was a fabulous film. I wouldn't call it belly-laugh funny, but it will definitely keep you smiling throughout. Hanks is superb as Dorr, playing a character unlike any I've seen him play before. Irma P. Hall, who plays the squeaky-clean Marva Munson, is also a highlight. The ironic ending, and particularly the final destination of the pilfered money, were both clever surprises.
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