Log in / Sign up
 
    Share this page

    Hail, Caesar!

    Reviewed by
    adamwatchesmovies@

    I’m glad I sat back and took time to think about “Hail, Caesar! ” When I immediately left the theatre, I felt indifferent. After some time passed, I came to like it more. It would have gotten a mild recommendation from me. Now, I look back at the film fondly, even if my endorsement comes with an asterisk. This movie is not going to be for everyone but enough parts of “Hail, Caesar! ” are so good; so perfect in their satire of old Hollywood that it’s worth seeing. Despite this, I feel like a lot of people are going to leave the theatre disappointed because this is a comedy, but not the kind that gets you to laugh long and loud. It’s more of a series of continuous smiles and chuckles while sitting back and admiring the craftsmanship behind it all kind of movie.

    Set in 1951, we follow Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) He’s a “fixer” for Capitol Pictures. He covers up the questionable behaviour that could tarnish the image of the studio’s stars. Eddie makes sure everyone’s happy so they stay in line and helps with the odd casting issue or sudden problems, something that seems to be happening all too often. When the star of the studio’s biggest production of the year (the titular “Hail, Caesar! ”) is kidnapped for ransom, Eddie has to juggle all his regular duties and get star Baird Whitlock (George Clooney) back.

    At first, I felt that “Hail, Caesar! ” lacked focus. The story centres on Eddie Mannix and the kidnapping is one of the many events you’ll see. Things deviate from the “investigation” frequently as Eddie has to troubleshoot issues. It threw me off because I figured that every side character was eventually going to tie into the “Hail, Caesar! ” plot. Scarlett Johansson’s character was going to have to seduce some guy to get information; the dumb star would blurt out a crucial bit of information to one of the conspirators, that sort of thing. That’s not what this movie is. Scarlett Johansson in a mermaid costume is something I’m going to treasure in my memory for a long time, but her story could have been cut completely and it wouldn’t affect what happens to Baird Whitlock at all. In fact she does get somewhat written out of the film, which disappointed me. I was under the wrong impression. This movie is not a traditional one. It’s unpredictable and that’s what Eddie’s life is like, every day.

    Coming out of the theatre (so… about 19 hours ago) I would have wanted Scarlett Johansson, Frances McDormand and Jonah Hill’s parts cut to focus more on the kidnapping plot. Now, I enjoy the fact that they play small roles, and then disappear from the picture. Why? Because they help build the world of “Hail, Caesar! ” I suppose I “knew” all of the little things that had to be done in order to make a picture like “Ben-Hur”. The massive sets, thousands of extras and the delicate PR, but seeing it on-screen, meticulously recreated, expertly research and with this crew, it’s a treat and it made me realize that I didn’t really know everything at all. If this film hadn’t contained the kidnapping and was just about the daily woes of Eddie, I would have still found it gripping. There are some brilliant moments where we see the “behind-the-scenes” of these films and they’re so memorable that to lose any one of them would be a heavy blow to my heart.

    Nowadays, we know that highly paid Hollywood personalities are just like normal people, except that they’ve got a whole lot more money and twice as many skeletons in their closets because of their need to make it to the top of the Hollywood food chain. There was a time where an illusion was cast upon the world and the general public could at least fool themselves into believing that wasn’t the case. This film immerses you into the 50’s world of Hollywood very well, partially because of its excellent casting. George Clooney, Scarlett Johansson, Alden Ehrenreich, Ralph Fiennes, Channing Tatum, Tilda Swinton. Even though I’m not familiar enough with films from the era this story is set in to give names specifically, I could “recognize” what real-life people they were playing. The vignettes of all of the characters are perfect in how they both lampoon and serve as love letters to that time.

    The more you know about film history, the higher your chances of enjoying “Hail, Caesar! ” I liked it, more for the trip back in time than for the comedy. The last thing I expected was to enjoy the parts where I laughed the least above all others, but I did. If you go into this picture expecting a constant stream of gags as the ones seen in the trailer when we see Ralph Fiennes as a frustrated director try to get a southern accented Alden Ehrenreich to say “Would that it were so simple”, that’s not what this picture is about. I did laugh, but not in the way that I do normally. It’s funny, but more in a “that’s kind of a funny thing that just happened there, isn’t it? ” than a “Boy, that was funny! Quite the knee slapper that ‘Hail, Caesar! ’”

    I don’t want to discourage you from seeing “Hail, Caesar! ” I want your expectations to be realistic so you don’t leave disappointed. As a love letter and a spoof of Hollywood’s Golden Age, it’s great. You couldn’t ask for a more. As a comedy though, it’s hit or miss for me. The parts that are good are so good though. If you know your film history, or you’re the kind of person that would see something and instead of saying “I don’t get it, this movie is dumb” will take some notes, go home and do research by actually watching the classics that are being referenced (something you should do anyway), it’s a real winner. I’d like to see this one again, after I do some homework. (Theatrical version on the big screen, February 21, 2016)

    7
    HelpfulNot helpful  Reply
    adamwatchesmovies@  23.2.2016 age: 26-35 2,867 reviews

    Show all reviews for this movie
    Note: The movie review posted on this page reflects a personal opinion of one user. We are not responsible for its content.

    Did you see ''Hail, Caesar!''?

    There is a problem with your e-mail address and we are unable to communicate with you. Please go to My Account to update your email.

    How do you rate this movie?

    Select stars from 1 to 10.
    10 - A masterpiece, go, see it now
    9 - Excellent movie, a must see
    8 - Great movie, don't miss it
    7 - Good movie, worth seeing
    6 - Not bad, could be much better
    5 - So so, okay if you don't pay
    4 - Not good, even if you don't pay
    3 - Poor movie, not recommended
    2 - Very bad, forget about it
    1 - Worst ever, avoid at all costs

    Please explain. Write your comment here:

    Please choose a username to sign your comments. Only letters, digits, dash - or period. Minimum 4 characters.

    Your age and sex:

    We publish all comments, except abusive, at our discretion.