Hail, Caesar! Review

     The Coen Brothers have cemented their place among the great filmmakers, and they are undoubtedly the best directing duo to ever step behind the camera. Their unique style makes them stand out, and their creativity never ceases to amaze me. Ever since their debut film "Blood Simple" in 1984, they worked on several modern day classics. But while they are most well known for their dramas like "No Country for Old Men," "Fargo," "True Grit," "Barton Fink," and many more, their work on comedies are often overlooked. They directed several beloved and acclaimed comedies such as "Raising Arizona," "The Big Lebowski," and "O Brother, Where Art Thou?." Granted, they have had some misfires when it comes to comedy, but I still think they are underrated directors in the genre. So when I heard that they were working on a new one taking place during the golden age of cinema I was immediately intrigued. "Hail, Caesar!" was the first movie of 2016 that I was really looking forward to, and after watching I can say it is one of the strangest comedies you will see this year.

     Eddie Mannix is a Hollywood fixer working for a movie studio, and his job is to take care of any problems that the studio comes across. One day Mannix learns that Barid Whitlock, a huge movie star and the lead actor in the studio's biggest movie of the year, has been kidnapped. He gets a note from a group called "The Future" demanding 100 thousand dollars for his return. With little time and not much to go on, Mannix looks to get Whitlock back as soon as possible. But on top of the kidnapping, he still has to deal with all of his other day to day problems. 

     When I first saw the trailer for this movie I was excited, it looked like a fun, laugh a minute comedy. Turns out this movie isn't anything like that. It is a slow burn with dry humor that plays off of situational comedy. Now that's not a bad thing, I actually really liked this movie's sense of humor. The Coen brothers did an excellent job with this movie, they are exactly who should have directed it. They made the comedy work better than what most directors could have gotten out of it. And really, they made this movie as a love letter old school Hollywood. They play with, and mock, the style of the films that were popular at time and the whole Hollywood system. As well as what was happening in the world at that time. They also threw in so many tiny references and homages from that time that just made the movie so fun. One of the movie's strongest points would have to be the screenplay. The characters are interesting and the dialog is so well written. And this only helped the actors, all of which gave great performances and had great chemistry. Josh Brolin who plays the lead character, and even though it's still very early in the year he could possibly be looking at an Oscar nomination. But even though the movie is very well written, the plot is its weakest feature. The plot just comes off as messy at times. There are pacing issues, and a few scenes just felt unnecessary. There were some side stories that didn't add anything to the movie other than a funny scene or two, and some of them could have just been cut out completely. "Hail, Caesar!" is has some problems that really hold it back from being truly great. I doubt that this movie will be remembered as fondly as some of the other comedic works of the Coen. That being said, it's still good and the first worth wild movie of the year. "Hail, Caesar!" isn't for everyone, many just won't be able to get into it and appreciate it for what it is. When I walked out of the movie I heard some of the other people straight up call it a bad movie. But I really just don't think they understood what it was trying to be. If you like the Coen Brothers style, classic Hollywood, or just good film making, I think this is a movie you will enjoy. 

Pros: Great performances from the entire cast, love letter to old Hollywood, excellent cinematography, classic Coen brothers direction, well written dialog, good chemistry, filled with interesting characters, lots of tiny references and homages, good sense of humor.

Cons: Pacing issues, messy plot, some unnecessary scenes.

4/5 Stars