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| Courtesy of Universal |
I’ve
got a feeling Hail, Caesar!, the Coen brothers’ latest collaboration, is
going to fall into that second category. I absolutely loved the movie, but it
seems like it was made for me and six other people. Not exactly blockbuster
material. That doesn’t make it bad; in fact, I laughed so hard that I had a
pounding headache by the time I left the theater. But humor is highly
subjective, and something tells me many viewers will leave ticked off or
scratching their heads. Take that as a warning or a recommendation, whichever
you prefer.
Hail,
Caesar! introduces viewers to Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin), a fixer for Capitol
Pictures during Hollywood’s 1950s heyday. When the studio’s stars – who are
supposed to be squeaky clean and wholesome – find themselves in a compromising
position, it’s up to Mannix to solve the problem, usually with a briefcase full
of money or by schmoozing the right reporter.
When
Baird Whitlock (George Clooney), the studio’s biggest movie star, is abducted right
before he’s supposed to shoot a pivotal scene in an expensive biblical epic,
Mannix has to uncover the kidnappers’ motive. He must also deal with his
typical daily headaches, including a temperamental director (Ralph Fiennes) and
his inexperienced actor (Alden Ehrenreich); a starlet (Scarlett Johansson)
whose pregnancy could ignite a scandal; feuding gossip reporters who are also twin
sisters (Tilda Swinton times two); and a singing, dancing matinee idol with a
few secrets of his own (Channing Tatum).
As
convoluted as that narrative sounds on the surface, with its multitude of characters
and plenty of mysteries to be solved, the story turns out to be relatively simple.
Honestly, the short version of the movie’s plot can be boiled down to “what if Trumbo was good?”
But
that doesn’t make Hail, Caesar! any less entertaining; it’s a farcical exercise
that evokes the movie industry’s Golden Age, complete with gorgeous imagery
that looks like it was shot in Technicolor. Of course, it’s darn near
impossible for a film to look ugly when Roger Deakins is the cinematographer.
It’s
also a blast to watch wonderful actors put their egos aside to look ridiculous
and deliver the Coens’ remarkable dialogue. The duo once again uses Clooney’s
talent for playing idiots to their advantage. Whitlock is a bumbling doofus,
and his reaction upon learning why he was abducted is both hilarious and unexpectedly
subversive. The same goes for Tatum’s role as a Gene Kelly-esque hoofer. Hail,
Caesar! might be the best use of the actor’s talents since he shocked everyone
with his comedic chops in 21 Jump Street.
Brolin
is also quite good in a role that’s tougher than it seems on the surface. It’s
hard to be the straight man when everyone around you gets to have fun acting crazy
and over-the-top, but he makes it work. That’s particularly true in one of the final
scenes, as he reacts with dawning horror at the ramifications of a monologue
delivered by Clooney’s character.
Folks
like Johansson, Fiennes and Swinton don’t show up for long (heck, Jonah Hill is
featured prominently in the marketing materials but he’s literally in the movie
for less than three minutes), but they make the most of their limited screen
time. Each of them is funny, memorable and committed to the absurdity of the material.
But
I was most impressed with Ehrenreich, who plays a goodhearted cowboy actor out
of his element in a period drama. He doesn’t have much to do with the film’s
major plot, but he’s got a magnetic screen presence and solid chemistry with
Brolin and Fiennes.
Again, Hail, Caesar! definitely isn’t for everyone. But my still-pounding head can confirm
that I had a great time. Thank goodness we’re out of the January garbage dump
and back into the land of interesting films.
Hail,
Caesar! is rated PG-13 for some suggestive content and smoking.
Grade:
A-
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