As a Valentine's treat, Dan took me to the Arclight Hollywood to see the latest Coen brother's film, Hail, Caesar!
PLOT- Set in the 1950's, Hail, Caesar!, is the story of studio fixer, Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin), who struggles to keep sane and get the job done. His primary problem is the disappearance of mega star, Baird Whitlock ( Brad Clooney), who is just a few scenes shy of wrapping one of the biggest films of the year, "Hail, Caesar!". Mannix receives a ransom note from an organization calling themselves "The Future", asking for a hundred thousand dollars for Whitlock's safe return. While trying to deal with the Whitlock situation, Mannix must contend with twin-sister gossip columnists ( Tilda Swinton), an out-of-wedlock pregnant actress ( Scarlett Johansson), and cowboy/turned actor (Alden Ehrenreich).
LIKE- Hail, Caesar!, had genuinely unexpected plot twists. It's very clever. So much so, that I don't want to go into detail in this review, as to prevent spoilage. The unexpected is what makes this film really shine.
Hail Caesar! is hilarious. I can't remember the last film that made me laugh this much. The comedy is a double-punch, derived from both the plot and the characters, and filled with snappy dialogue. The Coen brothers have created memorable characters and the casting is perfect.
Although everyone is wonderful, two actors steal the show. Channing Tatum got the biggest laughs during his ode to the 1950's musical. Tatum plays an actor, playing a sailor, who is about to ship out and is bemoaning the lack of dames at sea. The song is appropriately named, "No Dames." Hobie Doyle (Ehrenrich) cracked me up. One of the best moments in the film, happens when Doyle is given a serious acting role, that is well beyond his talent of being a stunt cowboy. Ehrenrich plays the role with such innocence and gullibility, that you just have to root for him to get it right. Doyle is definitely not cut out for a Hollywood career.
DISLIKE- Nothing. Normally the Jan/Feb movie releases are awful, but Hail, Caesar! is a real gem.
RECOMMEND- If you're a fan of Coen brother films, Hail Caesar! is a must. Although, there is no need to see this on the big screen.
SIDE NOTE- It's misleading that Jonah Hill is on the poster and has top billing. He is in the film for no more than five minutes. His part is funny, but in the grand scheme of the larger film, he is forgettable.