Movie: Hail, Caesar!

Starring: Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Ralph Fiennes, Tilda Swinton, Channing Tatum, Scarlett Johansson, Jonah Hill and Frances McDormand

Passionately and dedicatingly showcasing the injustices of society through the perspective of someone with a troubled and difficult life in films can be a captivating and alluring experience for both the filmmakers and the audience. Academy Award-winning writers-directors Joel and Ethan Coen have rightfully garnered acclaim and box office success throughout their careers for their insightful explorations into the struggles people regularly face, often as the result of societal injustices. Unfortunately, the filmmaking brothers ultimately failed to recapture their past glory in their upcoming musical comedy-drama, ‘Hail, Caesar!,’ which is set to be released in theaters on Friday. While the scribes-helmers intriguingly cast a talented and diverse ensemble cast for their latest movie, and the actors determinedly worked to highlight the pressures of fame, the film essentially just emphasized how glamorous the filmmaking business appears to be to the public.

Set in the early 1950s, ‘Hail, Caesar!’ follows Hollywood film studio fixer, Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin), a morally-driven father and husband who’s determined to not only protect his family, but also everyone who works for the company. His days are mostly consumed by his sincerity and his drive to places the needs of others and the studio before his own. Despite the long hours and tireless commitment Eddie gives to his job, which often takes him away from his family, he’s hesitant to accept a job offer from an aerospace company, Lockheed Corporation, that would offer him more pay and less duties.

As Eddie ponders his important career decision, he’s still forced to contend with Capitol Pictures’ biggest production of the moment, ‘Hail, Caesar!’ The movie features the studio’s biggest star, Baird Whitlock (George Clooney), as a Roman aristocrat who begins believing in the crucified Jewish preacher. After the celebrated actor mysteriously disappears from the film’s set, Eddie is drivem to find him before the studio is forced to shut the project down. The studio’s problem solver is soon notified that Baird has been kidnapped, and in order for the actor to be returned, Eddie must pay a $100,000 ransom.

While trying to secure Baird’s safe return, Eddie also face several other problems, including identical twin gossip columnists, Thora and Thessaly Thacker (both of whom are played by Tilda Swinton). The sisters, who hate each other, are always vying for the same news they can break. The two are determined to be the first to discover and publish the truth about Baird’s mysterious disappearance, and Eddie determinedly works to refute both sisters’ diligent efforts. Eddie is also forced to contend with actress DeeAnna Moran’s latest impending personal scandal, which could potentially derail her career. The studio fixer decides to utilize the services of the company’s legal expert, Joe Silverman (Jonah Hill), to curtail the possibility of the actress falling out from grace. Another career-threatening dilemma Eddie must fix involves director Laurence Laurentz (Ralph Fiennes), who strongly disagrees with Capitol Pictures’ decision to cast cowboy actor Hobie Doyle (Alden Ehrenreich) in his sophisticated drama. Despite the continued conflicts that Eddie is forced to contend with during his daily duties at Capitol Pictures, he begins to realize that the stress he accrues is worth it, as he recognizes the positive influence he has on the people he works with every day.

While ‘Hail, Caesar!’ is powerfully led by a distinct group of versatile actors, including several Academy Award-winning and -nominated performers, the Oscar-nominated Brolin grippingly and engagingly portrayed his character with the most personal and memorable emotions. The actor uninhibitedly emphasized Eddie’s determined and driving desire to protect not only his family, but also the actors who are valued by Capitol Pictures and the American public. With the majority of the rest of the characters, from Baird to DeeAnna and the Thacker twins, mainly acting in their own best interests so that they can secure and maintain the life they desire, Brolin effortlessly emphasized the Coen brothers’ wholesome development of the comedy-drama’s honorable protagonist.

The SAG Award-winning actor was partly able to infuse his character with such emotion and reflection on his life and decisions because the Coen brothers offered the most significant and sentimental insight into Eddie’s personal life. Unlike some of the writers-directors’ most notable and engaging character-driven films, including ‘No Country for Old Men,’ which also starred Brolin, ‘Hail, Caesar!,’ which clocked in at just under two hours, disappointingly included too many characters and sub-plots. Brolin was the only actor who was afforded the opportunity to truly delve into his character’s mindset and emphasize his emotions. For a film that commendably strived to stress its satire of the perceived moral dilemmas in the society in which its set, including the mistreatment of workers who aren’t considered to be as valuable as others, the biggest problems that are presented are never truly and gratifyingly resolved.

‘Hail, Caesar!’ is the latest film that was written and directed by the Coen Brothers that commendably worked to fit into several distinct forms of filmmaking and genres, from satire to drama and musical, to emphasize the importance of people fully accepting themselves for who they truly are, and not allowing anyone else to influence their decisions. Unfortunately, the Oscar-winning filmakers infused their latest effort with too many characters and subplots for audiences to truly appreciate and connect with any one well-intentioned message. Besides from Brolin’s captivating portrayal of the dedicated Eddie, who determinedly set out to help everyone and give them the benefit of the doubt in any difficult situation, the latest effort from the acclaimed scribes and helmers failed to live up the full social messages that are presented in their earlier work.

Technical: A-

Written by: Karen Benardello