Hail, Caesar! - Movie Review

Rating: 4 out of 5

An intelligent ode to a time when Hollywood made wildly inventive movies without pressure from focus groups, there's a serious edge to what superficially looks like a madcap comical romp. But this isn't one of Joel and Ethan Coen's nutty comedies. It's a pointed exploration of the collision between art and commerce, assembled as a sprawlingly entertaining ensemble movie packed with lively, often hilarious characters.

It's set over 24 hours at Capitol Pictures in 1951 as studio minder Eddie (Josh Brolin) tries to keep several movies in production despite a series of hitches, while twin gossip columnists (two Tilda Swintons) try to get a scoop. Top movie star Baird (George Clooney) has been kidnapped by communist writers from the set of his Roman epic. Water-ballet diva DeeAnna (Scarlett Johansson) is pregnant and unapologetically unmarried. And rising-star Hobie (Alden Ehrenreich) is struggling to make the transition from Western action hero to chamber room drama, clashing with his demanding new director Laurence (Ralph Fiennes). Meanwhile, song-and-dance man Burt (Channing Tatum) is up to something on the set of his sailor musical. With all of this, Eddie begins to think that maybe he should take the offer of a job outside the film industry.

As the movie darts between these various productions, the Coens gleefully reinvent this series of genres that have essentially died out. Yes, the film is a pointed depiction of how Hollywood used to make a wide array of movies for much broader audiences. Each sequence is written and directed with witty details that perfectly catch the way the chaos of a film set can be transformed into a glamorous motion picture in time for the starry red-carpet premiere. And the entire cast rises to the challenge. Clooney is terrific as the dim-witted star who hasn't a clue what's happening around him. Ehrenreich shows real charm as a smart kid struggling in an insane situation. Brolin holds things together in a surprisingly sympathetic role, while Swinton, Johansson and Fiennes add plenty of spark, and the film is stolen by Frances McDormand as a spiky film editor.

Despite the continually funny moments, the film is more of a wry drama than a wacky comedy. This is because there are all kinds of undercurrents swirling through each scene. Characters aren't as simplistic as they seem to be, while the central mystery has something important to say to Hollywood today. The Coens are poking fun at the ideals of both communism and capitalism, astutely exploring motivations and meaning. And while giving the audience something to chew on, they've also made a terrifically entertaining film that reminds us how much more fun the movies were before franchises took over.

Rich Cline

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Facts and Figures

Year: 2016

Genre: Comedy

Run time: 106 mins

In Theaters: Friday 5th February 2016

Distributed by: Universal Pictures

Production compaines: Universal Pictures, Mike Zoss Productions, Working Title Films

Reviews

Contactmusic.com: 4 / 5

Rotten Tomatoes: 81%
Fresh: 145 Rotten: 35

IMDB: 7.0 / 10

Cast & Crew

Director: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

Producer: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

Screenwriter: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

Starring: Josh Brolin as Eddie Mannix, George Clooney as Baird Whitlock, Alden Ehrenreich as Hobie Doyle, Ralph Fiennes as Laurence Lorenz, Jonah Hill as Joseph Silverman, Scarlett Johansson as DeeAnna Moran, Frances McDormand as C. C. Calhoun, Tilda Swinton as Hedda Hopper, Channing Tatum as Burt Gurney, Christopher Lambert as Arne Slessum, Veronica Osorio as Carlotta Valdez, Max Baker as Head Communist Writer, Clancy Brown as Communist Screenwriter, Fisher Stevens as Communist Writer #1, Patrick Fischler as Communist Writer #2, Tom Musgrave as Communist Writer #3, David Krumholtz as Communist Writer #4, Greg Baldwin as Communist Writer #5, Patrick Carroll as Communist Writer #6, Heather Goldenhersh as Natalie (Secretary), Alison Pill as Mrs. Mannix, Michael Gambon as Narrator, E.E. Bell as Bartender, Fred Melamed as Fred, Wayne Knight as Lurking Extra #1, Jeff Lewis as Lurking Extra #2, John Bluthal as Professor Marcuse, Peter Jason as Director, Noel Conlon as Scotty at the Gate, Caitlin Muelder as Cookhouse Woman, Ming Zhao as Chinese Restaurant Waitress, Natasha Bassett as Gloria DeLamour, Noah Baron as Water Ballet P.A., Luke Spencer Roberts as Peanut, Helen Siff as Malibu Maid, Robert Trebor as Producer of 'Hail, Caesar!'

Also starring: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Joel Coen, Ethan Coen