By Megan Bianco
Four months after Jay Roach gave us his dramatic biopic on the blacklisted era of 1950s Hollywood with “Trumbo,” Joel and Ethan Coen release their own take on the time period with the satirical “Hail, Caesar!” Starring some of their regular actors, as well as some more recently relevant, the film has been building hype since it was greenlit last winter. Those who are fans or at least familiar with the brothers’ unique and distinctive style will know that their movies are in the “love it or hate it” category. Ranging all over the place with their genres, “Hail, Caesar!” is the duo’s first comedy since “Burn After Reading” eight years ago.
In 1951 Hollywood, we follow Capital Pictures studio head Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) around town for a day. We see him begin the day talking to clergy including a priest and a rabbi about how his current Roman epic, “Hail, Caesar!,” should portray Christ. Then he meets with his unmarried, pregnant superstar DeeAnna Moran (Scarlett Johansson) to convince her to find a husband quickly, while dodging rival twin gossip columnists Thora and Thessaly Thacker (Tilda Swinton). During all this, his big movie star Baird Whitlock (George Clooney) of the Caesar picture has been drugged and kidnapped by a secret group of blacklisted communist screenwriters, and new cowboy star Hobie Doyle (Alden Ehrenreich) is getting a public image makeover by being cast in a sophisticated romantic comedy by director Laurence Laurentz (Ralph Fiennes), and set up on a blind date with musical starlet Carlotta Valdez (Veronica Osorio).
Frances MacDormand, Jonah Hill, David Krumholtz and Jack Huston make short appearances throughout, and Channing Tatum has a flashy, Gene Kelly-influenced dance sequence. Those who appreciate the Coens know that they are very good at creating an irreverent atmosphere and mood for their features. Whether it’s a thriller like “Blood Simple” (1984), or a slapstick comedy like “Raising Arizona” (1987), a western like “True Grit” (2010), or a music period piece like “Inside Llewyn Davis” (2013). Their new movie is their second Hollywood satire after the underrated “Barton Fink” (1994), and though it has all the potential and ingredients to make another hit, it misses the mark just a little.
There are lot of moments that work, such as Tatum’s dance and a wise-cracking Esther Williams-esque Johansson. And especially Ehrenreich, who is impressively the best part of the film with his John Wayne mimic and Valdez in her take on Carmen Miranda. The young actor already has a solid reputation for choosing A-list directors to work with, and we now see he’s not just a decent supporting actor, but has some versatility with his performances. Brolin, Clooney, and Swinton are fine in their roles, already familiar with the Coen brothers’ technique from past experience. But McDormand and Hill, two actors with top billing on the posters, have hardly any screen time. And Fiennes is most frustratingly wasted in his two amusing scenes.
But what really holds back the success of “Hail, Caesar!” is the lack of subtlety and self-awareness it could advance from. The film has a cynical and harsh feel that is almost jarring. The filmmakers want to make fun of the business side of Hollywood, but come off as more hypocritical in the end. We have all these great actors and characters who should create a tongue-in-cheek homage to old Hollywood, but instead give a cold, backhanded compliment. Hardcore Coen brothers fans might get a kick out the picture for its episodic absent-mindedness, but movie fans who want to see a good comedy about the golden age of Hollywood may want to stick with “Singin’ in the Rain” (1952).
Megan Bianco is a Southern California-based movie reviewer and content writer with a degree from California State University Northridge.
