Lazy Film Critic Movie Reviews
Hail, Caesar!
So after waiting for this movie for what felt like years, "Hail, Caesar!", the latest film from the Coen Brothers is finally here. Set during the 1950's in Hollywood, it follows a fixer who's trying to keep his stars in line during a day in Hollywood. While the main story of the film follows one of Hollywoods biggest stars being kidnapped, this movie has a ton of minor sub-plots going on, and with that, it features an all star cast. Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, Scarlett Johansson, and Channing Tatum to name a few. So with the Coen Brothers being amongst my favorite directors (4 of their films are on my top 20 all-tim favorites), hopefully this film delivers.
The Coen Brothers are some of the most fascinating directors in Hollywood, as it seems like they always bring something new to the table with their next movie. And Hail Caesar is no different, bringing one of the Coens best scripts and funniest performances. Josh Brolin and George Clooney are both arguably the protagonists of the film, and they're both funny. Clooney we already knew could deliver comedy, but the real refreshing comedic talent is from Josh Brolin, who is typically a dramatic actor.
What I love about this movie is how real it makes everything feel, it's a quality in filmmaking I've felt the Coens have always excelled at, they can make the most absurd or nonsensical scene or character seem perfectly believable and realistic. The main plot of the story could've been a completely ridiculous story, if it was any other director. But the depth they go into all the little things helps to make it feel oddly real, and make it work.
However, it's in-depth world building also ends up as Hail Caesar's only prominent issue. It's the same thing I noticed with Burn After Reading, where it feels like it's almost trying to be cult-y. Without a doubt, the Coens most prominent film was The Big Lebowski, and although the majority of their films succeed at being their own thing, every now and then there's a movie - like this and Burn After Reading - that kind of feels like it's trying to re-capture the magic of The Big Lebowski. However, what made Lebowski so good was the laid back and almost dismissive nature of the film, and the fact that the plot seems to happen without any input from the protagonist. Hail Caesar feels like its trying to re-capture the Big Lebowski, but with a way more involved protagonist, and it ends up working against the movie in a fairly noticable way.
Final Rating
All in all, is Hail, Caesar good? Absolutely, I highly recommend everyone go see it. It's entertaining, it's really fun, it does an amazing job at captures 1950s Hollywood, and has some pretty great world building for a movie that is just Hollywood. It can feel at times a little bit too Lebowski-esque, but the new things this movie also brings more than make up for it. If you're a fan of movies, go check it out.
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