The Coen brothers are one of the most distinctive directorial forces in modern film. As writers too, they endow their work with a voice – something many filmmakers fail to achieve. Their layered works always have something to say, which makes for not only gripping storytelling but fascinating study and dissection afterwards. In short, they are worthy of the term artists. But that doesn’t mean everything they make is great.

Set in 1950s Hollywood, the film follows producer Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) and his latest project, a big-budget biblical epic called Hail, Caesar! When his film’s star, Baird Whitlock (George Clooney) is kidnapped, Mannix must salvage the film while juggling gossip columnists and a lucrative job offer.

At least, that’s what I think it’s about, but more on that later. Let’s talk about what I liked first.

Once again, the Coen brothers demonstrate their talent with wonderfully crafted dialogue scenes, making great use of master cinematographer and long-time collaborator Roger Deakins. What’s more are the stunning shots of the old movies that they clearly have a love for. The production and style of the 50’s films feels genuine, and evokes a joyous nostalgia for that period.

Equally great is the cast. Brolin and Clooney give excellent, funny performances and the enormous supporting cast does a great job. Just don’t go in expecting to see much of the other enticing names you’ve seen on the poster. Sadly, Ralph Fiennes, Scarlet Johannsson, Tilda Swinton and so on barely feature at all. And already we’re touching on one of my gripes with Hail, Caesar!

There are so many characters that the story has no focus. The kidnapping of Whitlock is the premise, sure, but it’s a very small part of the film. Subplots are introduced every few minutes, only some are resolved, and by the end I was left wondering what I’ll actually remember about the film a week or so down the line.

This constant shifting of storylines contributes to the biggest flaw of Hail, Caesar! The Coen brothers excel at delivering sharp, black comedy. There’s really nothing funny about the story of No Country for Old Men, but I find myself chuckling at almost every scene. That’s because of the tone, one that is striking and, most importantly, consistent. It gives us permission to laugh at the misfortune of our characters, and sometimes even the brutality they’re involved with.

And the tone is what Hail, Caesar! didn’t get right. Most of the jokes stem from the witty bits of dialogue we’d already seen in the trailer, or from sheer goofiness. So it’s rarely hilarious, and even when it is, the next minute we’re thrown into wrestling with religious themes and serious dramatic moments, then to some quirky mystery scene. It was disorienting and prevented me from ever becoming engrossed.

Now I will say outright that there’s a good chance that I simply didn’t get it. Only when I started this review did I realise that there hasn’t been a single Coen brothers film that I’ve loved after a single viewing. In fact, No Country for Old Men is my favourite film that I feel I still don’t fully understand. I even refrain from reading about it because it’s a film that I enjoy rewatching and trying to tear all the meaning out of it. So although my first experience with Hail, Caesar! was pretty “meh”, there’s still a good chance my opinion of it will change.

For this reason I’m not opposed to viewing Hail, Caesar! a second time. The film says a lot about Hollywood and the transformation of filmmaking, from an art form to a business. It definitely sounds like something I’d get on board with! However, given my current understanding of how it explores this idea, the film was lacking in bite.

In the end, Hail, Caesar! is a creative film that showcases the Coen brothers’ talent for writing and direction. But the inconsistent tone and messy story makes it a very flat film to watch.

5-5

(GRADES: Both are out of 10. The left is an objective score based on its artistic merit, the right is how much I personally enjoyed it.)

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