I haven't seen the original film, The Lady Killers, but I will most assuredly check it out after hearing from all sources that it's much better than this remake. While this is hardly the best Coen Brothers movie of all time, it's certainly worth the trip, if only for the bent and twisted glee with which it is played out. (It's played out and yet NOT "played out.")
Tom Hanks is clearly having a lot of fun in his over-the-top characterization of a deranged buffoon who actually believes himself to be a possible genius, and this is reason enough to see the movie. Irma P. Hall, who's great at slapping and smacking people, is excellent here as well. All the other characters (and they ARE characters) have been written as stereotypes but for some reason that works here too - it adds to the insane quality of the proceedings in a good way. The plot is thin at best but it's the delivery that makes the film worthwhile, particularly the clever way -=-SPOILER ALERT -=- that Hanks' character gets hoisted at the end - literally - by his own petard. Edgar Allen Poe would be very pleased, methinks.
Tom Hanks is clearly having a lot of fun in his over-the-top characterization of a deranged buffoon who actually believes himself to be a possible genius, and this is reason enough to see the movie. Irma P. Hall, who's great at slapping and smacking people, is excellent here as well. All the other characters (and they ARE characters) have been written as stereotypes but for some reason that works here too - it adds to the insane quality of the proceedings in a good way. The plot is thin at best but it's the delivery that makes the film worthwhile, particularly the clever way -=-SPOILER ALERT -=- that Hanks' character gets hoisted at the end - literally - by his own petard. Edgar Allen Poe would be very pleased, methinks.