by CHRIS BARRY

Damn, those Coen brothers are nutty. Forget about the content of The Ladykillers, just the idea of re-making the charming yet arguably unremarkable old Alec Guinness heist film is loopy enough. And while many will no doubt bitch that this remake is unnecessary, the Coens bring so much style and class to their efforts that this argument is redundant. With the exception of last year's notably lacklustre pièce de caca otherwise known as Intolerable Cruelty, one could forcibly argue there is no such thing as a truly unnecessary Coen Bros flick, just some that hit the mark a little closer than others.

The Ladykillers, while clearly not in the same league as other Coen efforts like Fargo or The Man Who Wasn't There, is still likely to be one of the better major American films you see this year. Using words that I never imagined could come out of my mouth, I must state that Tom Hanks is brilliant in his role as an Edgar Allan Poe-spouting, Colonel Sanders-esque Southern con man with plans to rip off a local gambling casino. For once, Hanks' tendency to overstate his characters works to a film's advantage, as he and an ensemble of inept yet thoroughly over-the-top criminals find themselves continually frustrated in their comic book-like attempts to relieve the casino of its money. But Hanks isn't the only one who delivers a first-rate performance here; Irma P. Hall does a great job as the gang's landlady and churchgoing nemesis, while J.K. Simmons, as the crew's confident but idiotic demolitions expert, is nothing short of comically brilliant. Set in the Deep South as it is, taken with the fact that this film is disturbingly similar to 2000's O Brother, Where Art Thou, one could be forgiven for leaving The Ladykillers with the sense that the Coens might finally be starting to run out of fresh ideas. I doubt it. Even the weakest Coen flicks are generally superior to 99 per cent of the crap coming out of Hollywood, and while The Ladykillers is clearly not their defining moment, it certainly helps to solidify their reputation as consistently exceptional filmmakers.

The Ladkillers opens Friday, March 26

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