Thursday, March 28, 2024

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Review // Hail, Caesar!

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[projekktor id=’23002′]

Set in the golden age of Hollywood the Coen brothers cleverly navigate their viewers through the studio system of old. The newest from the directing duo, Hail, Caesar! follows Josh Brolin’s Eddie Mannix, the head of physical production at the fictional Capitol Pictures. Essentially, he’s a fixer who tackles any problem (big or small) that might face the studio.

This day-in-the-life look at Eddie begins in a confessional at 5AM. He admits to the priest that he hasn’t quit smoking despite promising his wife he would, then goes on to tackle one of the studio’s smaller problems, a starlet taking racy photographs after hours. As Eddie’s day progresses we see the multitude of issues he faces regularly. Today his chief concerns are re-branding the image of western star Hobie Doyle (Alden Ehrenreich) into a dramatic actor at the behest of the unseen studio head, dealing with the unplanned pregnancy of the unmarried star of the “swim show” pictures DeeAnna Moran (Scarlett Johansson), oh and tracking down the studio’s biggest star, Baird Whitlock (George Clooney) who has been kidnapped from the set of the studio’s prestige picture “Hail, Caesar!” on the last day of shooting. Managing all the problems also includes making sure the press (Tilda Swinton as sister gossip columnists, Thora and Thessaly Thatcher) doesn’t get wind of the scandals while manipulating them to cover the studio-friendly fluff. Capitol Pictures isn’t the only thing Eddie has on his mind however, he is also a family man with issues at home and is considering an incredible job offer from Lockheed that would mean an end to the frenzied world of studio management.

While Eddie goes about his hectic day, we also get a glimpse into the lives of Hobie Doyle and Baird Whitlock. Hobie is a rising star intent on keeping the studio happy and content with his role within the system. A nice young boy, Hobie is very much the heroic western cowboy he often portrays on the big screen. By contrast, Baird is a womanizing, hard partying louse, but he is also a big star – the Clark Gable of Capitol. Because of his success on the screen and what he means for Capitol, Eddie works tirelessly to keep Baird’s many flaws under wraps. Baird’s a bit more versed in the Hollywood system than his doe-eyed colleague, but when he is kidnapped by a group of communists calling themselves “the future” he is quickly sympathetic to their cause, despite benefiting greatly from the flawed system they rail against.

The slick talking, fast walking picture pays fan service to those who are familiar with the era, and pulls stories and characters straight from history. That’s not to say you can’t enjoy the film if you don’t know who The Hollywood Blacklist, Hedda Hooper, Louella Parsons or E.J. Mannix are. The characters and characterization are complete without the history lesson but there is some underlying amusement in knowing the backstory. The ensemble cast is delightful. Channing Tatum and Scarlett Johansson dazzle with impressive dance numbers that showcase the incredible sound stages and production techniques of classic Hollywood. Cameos by Jonah Hill, Frances McDormand and Ralph Fiennes infuse the film with star power and prove that no role is too small. But the real stand-outs in the production are Brolin and Ehrenrich. Brolin leads the cast and keeps the story focused while the relative new-comer Ehrenreich shines as the goofy, naive, all-American boy enchanted by the Hollywood machine. If Brolin’s Eddie is the brains of the operation, Ehrenreich’s Hobie is the heart. 

The truly impressive feat of Hail, Caesar! is not the performance of the ensemble cast but it’s success in capturing the essence of old Hollywood. Set on an L.A. studio lot, each soundstage has its own personality, a look and design reflective of the movie being produced inside. Designer Jess Gonchor created worlds within worlds but keeps them firmly grounded in this timeless period of Hollywood history. Cinematographer Roger Deakins captures the quality of a classic film, while each mini-movie looks the genre it’s meant to. This 2015 film feels like a golden age romp, ripe with the fears, the look and the impressions of the era. A new classic comedy.

While there are many faults with the film, like a meandering plot and a ridiculous denouement which leads to a conclusion that leaves no string untied, overall Hail, Caesar! still manages to entertain. We’ve seen this tongue-in-cheek comedy from the Coens before in Burn After Reading (2008) and it’s nice to see them provide similar commentary on their own industry. By emulating the studio pictures with which it’s filled Hail, Caesar! ultimately pays tribute to the industry it mocks, celebrating the business of celluloid dreams, despite it’s many faults.

Reviewed by Vithiya Murugadas.

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