Hail, Caesar!

The Coen Brothers have a style that is decidedly unique. Their lasting footprint on film ranges from Academy Awards winning dramas, to insanely brilliant screwball comedies, but the thing they all have in common is the visionary creativity in every single one of their pieces of work.

Actors and actresses clamber to work with the Coens, and for good reason. They have typically followed a pattern of serious fare followed by comedy, alternating year after year. They have recently forayed into the writing game without directing, with last year’s “Bridge of Spies”, and 2014’s “Unbroken” to their credit. But their bread and butter is writing, directing, and producing their own work. They are the type of Hollywood duo that you would love to sit down and have a beer with because they have earned the freedom to do their own projects without interference from the studios. 2007’s “No Country for Old Men” remains in my all-time top-ten list, and 1996’s “Fargo” isn’t far behind.

“Hail, Caesar!” follows a day in the life of a major Hollywood studio in 1951. Studio head Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) has to put out fires, while dealing with a kidnapping of his big action star, Baird Whitlock (George Clooney). He moves from set to set, dealing with the quirky characters who fit nicely into their pigeon-hole stereotypes, while carrying a massive over-active guilt that requires him to see his priest far too frequently.

It is light, breezy, but layered with sharp dialogue, and deep themes. The pacing moves quickly because of the interactions and musical numbers (think “Blazing Saddles”), and the plot beneath the plot contains just enough intrigue to keep you wondering what it’s all about. The great thing about their comedies is that there doesn’t need to be absolute resolution, because it’s the ride that matters. The substance is not within the storylines, but in the performances therein.

I don’t know if it’s the writing, the tone of the films, the self-deprecating nature of the characters, or the desire to simply create a gem, but the Coens evoke the best performances possible from their actors time and time again. Their films are simply star-making because the ripest, juiciest roles end up going to Hollywood unknowns, and they steal the show. In a cast with Clooney, Tatum, Brolin, Johannsson, and Tilda Swinton, the best part was a young man named Alden Ehrenreich. Alden plays Hobie Doyle, a Western actor with some difficulty delivering lines without his aw-shucks grin and his down-home accent. His conversation with director Laurence Laurentz (Ralph Fiennes) is perhaps the finest we have ever seen of Fiennes in his long and distinguished career.

“Hail, Caesar!” is not just a niche film for the fans of the Coens. It can be appreciated by a wider audience than is typical, and just might rejuvenate an interest in some of their earlier work as well. While admiring the stellar acting, pay attention to the camera-work as well, as they tend to use very unconventional approaches to much of their work. Much of the credit for that can be attributed to cinematographer and frequent Coen collaborator Roger Deakins, one of the most under-appreciated in his field (13 Oscar nominations, no wins).

See “Hail Caesar!” for some good, old-fashioned cinematic entertainment, but understand that there is more to the film than just the comedy. Although Channing Tatum’s sailor song and dance pretty much nails comedy as well as I’ve seen recently. You have to pay attention to the details, but can enjoy the experience either way. This is the kind of film that reminds us how fun Hollywood and the movies can be. 8/10.