Review of The Ladykillers (2004) by Kevin M — 04 Mar 2012

This is a really funny dark comedy from the Coen brothers. Burn After Reading is better, but this is still good. Yes, it's stupid but that doesn't mean it can't be funny. Not everyone will find themselves compatible with this kind of humor: it's mostly people getting hurt in really funny ways and if that's not your kind of comedy, then avoid The Ladykillers.

I actually didn't know this was the Coen brothers when I went into it but I noticed a lot of similarities to their typical black humor style. The music is definitely one of the biggest giveaways. Characters get hurt or killed to weird Southern folk music.

A guy falls down the stairs, snaps his neck and his carcass slides along the floor like a car's emergency break being pulled. There's a portrait of a man in a lady's living room, and his expression changes based on the situation.

One of the thieves always has a cigarette dangling from his mouth and has the ability to flip it in and out of his mouth (while lit). It's the obscurity that makes the humor work. The acting is great and none of the characters feel useless.

Tom Hanks is the main thief and seems very odd as a Southern genius because you never see him in this type of film. He should do more roles in comedy. If you can accept the fact that it's not trying to be serious, you'll enjoy The Ladykillers.