What do you do when your country is about to go bankrupt during the cold war? Simple: declare war on America and lose, that's the premise of this film. The impoverished Duchy of Grand Fenwich decides to declare war on the United States, fully expecting to lose and thereby ending up with loads of free American aid. Luckily this film wasn't made in the 90s.

This film features a great performance by Peter Sellers who plays Tully Bascome / Grand Duchess Gloria XII / and Prime Minister Count Mountjoy. One of the great cold war comedies having a dig at the way super powers allied themselves with defeated enemies, and their ability to pour money into those defeated nations' economy. The question is, what happens if the Grand Duchy was to prevail and defeat the United States? You coming and seeing this film can answer all that and more.

A criminal mastermind (Alec Guiness) puts together a team of villains (including Peter Sellers) to pull off the perfect bank robbery. The gang take up residence in a boarding house run by the archetypal little old lady. As a cover story, they are posing as musicians who are not to be disturbed while practising. Of course, the "practice" consists of playing a record over and over again.

The essence of any master plan, whether robbing a bank or buying a carton of milk, is planning. Our villains have everything planned to the second. In a series of amazing scenes we have them timing, measuring and rehearsing every element of the robbery. All the while establishing a foolproof alibi.

Of course, there is no honour among thieves. Greed soon turns the gang members against each other, and the film climaxes in a hysterically funny orgy of violence. The gang, the heist, the violent falling out, the body count - think of The Ladykillers as a prototype for Reservoir Dogs. One of blackest and funniest of the Ealing comedies, The Ladykillers is pure delight from start to finish. Guiness is terrific in the lead role and, bizarrely enough, I can guarantee you'll come out of this movie humming a tune.