Hail, Caesar! - The Coen brothers have done it again.
The Coen brothers, Joel and Ethan, are some of the most versatile men in Hollywood. Their niche is with dark crime comedies, but they have never been afraid to shy away from odd and unique settings. With “Fargo” they told a story of accidental kidnapping in the upper Midwest. In “The Big Lebowski” they used slacker and stoner culture to tell a story of mistaken identity and bowling. They took a dark turn when they portrayed a man running from a cartel hitman after he takes a bag of money in one of the best films ever made, “No Country for Old Men.” While I don’t think “Hail, Caesar!” quite reaches the creative peaks of these films, it is a wonderful film from two men who for the past two decades have proved that they are some of the most creative men in the world of film.
Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) head of production at Capitol Pictures is what is known as a fixer, his job is to prevent the studio’s stars from falling into public ruin. He’s dedicated to his job but feels like quitting and taking another offer which would offer easier work and is more suitable to his talents. When one of Capitol Pictures biggest stars is kidnapped, Mannix must deal with the publicity and also find the perpetrators. On top of this he must also deal with other crises at the studio.
The movie’s structure is enjoyably odd and rampant. Characters played by big name actors appear in one scene never to be heard from again. The tones and scenes jump rapidly back and forth between locations and different subplots, but none of that detracts from what makes the movie so entertaining. The acting is phenomenal, everyone gives really enjoyable performances even for the few scenes some of them get. One incredibly funny scene occurs between Ralph Fiennes and Alden Ehrenreich when Laurentz, a high-profile director, slowly finds out that Hobie, a popular Western star, is a terrible, terrible actor. Brolin’s Mannix is both hilarious and endearing, bringing a character who loves and is devoted to his work despite the difficulty of the job. Alden Ehrenreich is a fairly unknown actor whose performance of Hobie Doyle is incredibly entertaining, not only does he portray a good ol’ boy stuck in the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, but he also proves that he is a talented performer whose role at Capitol is just misunderstood. Scarlett Johansson only has a few scenes but steals them by being a perfect 1950s femme fatale character, she portrays America’s sweetheart, who is constantly being thrown into relationships by the studio to give her a good public image. Channing Tatum has a Gene Kelly-esque performance that is incredibly funny, the man once again proves that he is talented actor with more than just a pretty face, he also shows off a really good singing voice.
The general tone of the film might turn away certain viewers, but will dazzle fans of the film industry. The film’s comments on Communism, religion, and the Cold Scare will probably not resonate with a large portion of filmgoers, not the least bit so because the appearance and treatment of these themes is very slight. The movie revels in comparisons between going to the movie theatre and church, but immediately flips such a notion by turning such an observation into a joke. Beautiful shots reveal the work that goes into making a movie, but then cuts off the beauty when someone does something truly idiotic. It also includes very interesting comments on studio/creator ownership. The reimagining of 1950s Hollywood will definitely entertain those who enjoy historical retellings of early Los Angeles and Hollywood culture, which attempted to create lighthearted escapist films during the Cold War and shortly after the court case United States v. Paramount Pictures, as well as the emergence of the television. An incredibly fascinating time period in film history, “Hail, Caesar!” captures this perfectly in an incredibly entertaining, funny edition to the already outstanding Coen brothers lineup.
”Hail, Caesar!” certainly won’t go down as one the Coen brothers greatest films, but is still an entertaining and incredibly captivating film with really prescient and interesting commentary on religion, Communism, and Hollywood culture. If it had come out last year we certainly would be hearing some Oscar buzz about it.