Review of Hail, Caesar! (2016) by Anthony I — 21 Mar 2017

The Coen brothers have done just about everything right for most of their careers. Their line of work is diverse, and fabulously off-beat. They find the humor and horror of both real and absurd situations.

Hail, Caesar must be another hit, right? I sat through most of the film beside myself. It's a tribute to post-war, old-Hollywood, which is great and all.. but this was marketed as a comedy, and I never laughed.

Where were the jokes? The irony? There is plenty of humor to be had at this bygone era, and the Coens didn't explore. The film relies heavily on perfectly constructed, whimsical set pieces and the pretty faces of it's all-star ensemble cast.

Glitz and glamour only takes a film so far. If the story and characters are hollow, everything else will be. The critics adored this when it came out last year, which just goes to show you how much these old fossils love gushing over themselves and the industry they represent.

This is not one of the Coen's finer hours. I guess if I didn't like this, I better never consider watching Rules Don't Apply? Yeah, sounds like a good idea to me.