Movie Review - Hail, Caesar!

   Hail, Caesar! is a 1950's period piece comedy written, produced, and directed by the famous Coen brothers. The pair previously had a big comedic hits with such modern classics as The Big Lebowski and Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?. Can their newest flick possibly measure up to their aforementioned heavyweights?

   Short answer: well, no. Long answer: but at least they tried. Before I get to why, let's just briefly recap the plot. In 1951, Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) is the head of production at Capitol Pictures. His job often involves cleaning up the public images of his eccentric actors, conjuring up ambitious movie ideas, and doing a bunch of other crazy stuff. Trouble starts a'brewing when Baird Whitlock (George Clooney), the star of the studio's major production picture, goes missing. Hijinks ensue, but with less themes and a noticeably lighter tone than most other Coen brothers movies.

   One thing this movie has going for it is its setting; the audience is treated not only to some fine period detail and authenticity, but also to an amusing spoof of the golden age of Hollywood and of old school acting. But by far the best thing about Hail, Caesar! is its acting. Every cast member, regardless of significance and screen time does an excellent job. The two standout performances belong to the two leads, Josh Brolin and George Clooney.

   Unfortunately though, the plot is a bit of an unfocused mess. There are plot lines that go nowhere. There are plot lines that begin and then abruptly end or are resolved too easily. This also extends to a lot of the characters who happen to be involved in those plot lines; indeed, most characters have only one or two scenes in the whole movie! SPOILER ALERT, but Ralph Feinnes, Channing Tatum, and Scarlett Johansson each only have two scenes. Jonah Hill has only one scene. Remember seeing him in the trailer? Well, guess what: you basically already saw his entire performance! Seriously, Coen brothers? Half of your headlining actors are little more than cameo appearances? That's false advertising!

   Now let's talk about possibly Hail, Caesar!'s most divisive aspect: the comedy. It's...OK. Hail, Caesar! isn't uproariously funny, but it isn't bad comedy either. The laugh out loud scenes are few, but the film does have its moments. The most notably funny parts are the scenes with Clooney and/or Alden Ehrenreich as Hobie Doyle, a well-meaning, slow-witted cowboy actor.

   And that's Hail, Caesar! Overall, it's perfectly casted, imperfectly written, capably directed, well produced, and half as funny as it could have been. The only reason you should want to see this is if you're big into golden age movies or if you're a huge George Clooney fan or Josh Brolin fan – they're both pretty good in this. Otherwise, just go back and rewatch The Big Lebowski.

Grade: three out of five.