Coen Brothers
Starring: George Clooney, Josh Brolin, Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum, Alden Ehrenreich
7.5/10
Hail, Caesar is set in early 1950s Hollywood as studio head Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin), reminiscent of a gravelly-voiced noir private eye, juggles numerous problems. Among them are a kidnapped star, communist writers, inept actors, fussy directors, and a scandal or two.
Along the way we see clips from films under production: a biblical epic, a sailors-on-the-town musical, a B western with a singing cowboy, and an Esther Williams-like water ballet. All are well done and hilarious. In fact, a musical number with Channing Tatum (“No Dames”) is as well done as almost anything Hollywood and Gene Kelly ever did. (It becomes very gay.)
The communist writers kidnap the star of the biblical epic (George Clooney) and get the studio to fork over $100,000, which they try to hand over to the Comintern when a Soviet sub surfaces off Malibu. The star is converted to communism with the help of the writers’ inspirational leader, Professor Herbert Marcuse (an actual person, as many will know). Once converted to the cause, Clooney explains to a horrified Marcuse how Norman Taurog and Danny Kaye exploited him. His argument contains a thesis/anti-thesis reference.
Many characters recall actual actors:
Scarlett Johansson is part Esther Williams, part Lana Turner (gangster boyfriend), part Loretta Young (“adopts” her illegitimate child to prevent a scandal).
Channing Tatum, a square-jawed, acrobatic actor with sentimentality toward the USSR, reminded me of Gene Kelly and Burt Lancaster.
Alden Ehrenreich is a good-natured singing cowboy reminiscent of Roy Rogers and Will Rogers, but with Gary Cooper’s political leanings.
Tilda Swinton plays two gossip columnists, inspired by Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons.
Clancy Brown in the Roman epic is homage to Charles McGraw as the scarred, raspy-voiced gladiator-school instructor in Spartacus.
Veronica Osorio, a Latina dancer, is obviously Carmen Miranda.
Not much of a plot here. As with The Big Lebowski and O Brother, Where Art Thou, it’s just a lot of fun. There is, though, a suggestion that Hollywood’s myth-making was surpassing that of religion.
Near the end the studio executive goes to confession: “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. I struck a movie star in anger.”