Hail, Caesar!
Coen brothers' comedy following a Hollywood "fixer" (Josh Brolin) in 1950s Los Angeles trying to track down a star (George Clooney) who has vanished during the filming of a Roman epic. All-star cast also includes Scarlett Johansson, Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ralph Fiennes, Tilda Swinton and Tilda Swinton (no, that's not a mistake - she plays dual roles).
- Director:
- Ethan CoenJoel Coen ('Fargo', 'The Big Lebowski', 'No Country for Old Men', 'True Grit', 'Miller's Crossing', 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?')
- Writer:
- Ethan CoenJoel Coen
- Cast:
- Scarlett JohanssonChanning TatumRalph FiennesJonah HillJosh BrolinGeorge ClooneyTilda SwintonChristopher LambertDolph LundgrenFrances McDormandAlex KarpovskyDavid KrumholtzClancy Brown
Reviews & comments
Variety
pressAn inside-showbiz lark that regards the 1950s studio system with the utmost skepticism even as it becomes an expression of movie love at its purest.
Total Film
pressA love letter inked in arsenic, at once celebrating the artistry of Hollywood and cringing at the crass commercialism and rampant phoniness of it all.
Time Out
pressWeds the backstage Hollywood shenanigans of Barton Fink to a more manic pace. It doesn't seem new for them, yet as super polished, mannered, slightly surreal comedies go, the movie feels as rare as a unicorn.
The Washington Post
pressIt's difficult to remember a recent movie so tartly on-point in skewering a power-driven industry obsessed with such seemingly meaningless ephemera as screen-credit and commissary pecking orders.
The New York Times
pressIf this were anyone other than the Coens you might think that success and a couple of Oscars had mellowed them. Not likely. "Hail, Caesar!" is one of those diversions that they turn out in between masterworks and duds.
Los Angeles Times
pressA hipster mash note to the way things used to be, it will put a smile on your face and keep it there for the duration.
Hollywood Reporter
pressInteresting for insiders, but in their first order of business, that of making a rousing comedy about the Hollywood of 65 years ago, they've fallen rather short.
FilmInk
pressCharm goes a long way, but in terms of the Coens' overall oeuvre, Hail, Caesar! is endearing but inessential viewing.
Empire Magazine
pressLikely to fry the mind of anyone who hasn't yet built up a resistance to the brothers' foibles and predilections over the past 16 films, it's easily the most Coen-y Coen movie they've put out. But then, they are stealing from the best.
Expectations were high heading into this movie given the talent behind it. Solid but not spectacular.
If you have seen the trailer and if you know anything about the communist witch hunt that swept through Hollywood then you have effectively seen this film. With a simple plot and needless characters (what is the point of Johansson's character?) this is one to miss.
The film is busy. it very busy in being clever. writers are communists, a tap dancer is a soviet spy. There are a lot of ideas in this film, hitting a film star equates to murder, messing up their beautiful face is a cardinal sin. conspiracies play a part, propaganda is a key element. what is news and what is just fluff, and do the journalist actually know...
Hence the title and the goings on that surrounded the actors, especially if they were presumed to be Red supporters. Tatum Channing doing a brilliant song and dance routine and finally sinks beneath the sea (just like moneybags) in a submarine. Gosh I thought all the actors and actresses played their role to the hilt, from Josh Brolin right down to the guy...
Okay, it is a poor musical pun on my part; but that doesn't stop the movie from being well worth seeing. Loved Tilda Switon. Loved Michael Gambon's voice. Loved Ralph Fines. Oh, they were all good. It may not be on the top 10 list for the year, but it is on the must see list for the year.
It's packed full of fantastic actors, great storyline and witty and sardonic at it's base. A very entertaining film from start to finish.
For those people who say this is not a great Coen flick I might argue that this one may need to sit with you a while. The vignettes were superb. Each major player got equal screen time and every character was well developed. The story may have seemed disjointed but for anyone who knows the Eddie Cantor/ Goldwyn girls movies from the golden age this was a...
The trailer didn't promise much but the movie was actually very entertaining. It is worth going to see and a was good laugh. 1 hr 45 running time was good, not too short and not too long.
And I mean that headline in the best way possible. This movie is full of clever dialogue, fun and you don't really know what is going on until a good third of the way into it. I loved every minute of it though. It's not nearly as gripping as No Country For Old Men or as delightful as O Brother Where Art Thou but, man, you can't help but love Baird...
Variety
pressAn inside-showbiz lark that regards the 1950s studio system with the utmost skepticism even as it becomes an expression of movie love at its purest.
Total Film
pressA love letter inked in arsenic, at once celebrating the artistry of Hollywood and cringing at the crass commercialism and rampant phoniness of it all.
Time Out
pressWeds the backstage Hollywood shenanigans of Barton Fink to a more manic pace. It doesn't seem new for them, yet as super polished, mannered, slightly surreal comedies go, the movie feels as rare as a unicorn.
The Washington Post
pressIt's difficult to remember a recent movie so tartly on-point in skewering a power-driven industry obsessed with such seemingly meaningless ephemera as screen-credit and commissary pecking orders.
The New York Times
pressIf this were anyone other than the Coens you might think that success and a couple of Oscars had mellowed them. Not likely. "Hail, Caesar!" is one of those diversions that they turn out in between masterworks and duds.
Los Angeles Times
pressA hipster mash note to the way things used to be, it will put a smile on your face and keep it there for the duration.
Hollywood Reporter
pressInteresting for insiders, but in their first order of business, that of making a rousing comedy about the Hollywood of 65 years ago, they've fallen rather short.
FilmInk
pressCharm goes a long way, but in terms of the Coens' overall oeuvre, Hail, Caesar! is endearing but inessential viewing.
Empire Magazine
pressLikely to fry the mind of anyone who hasn't yet built up a resistance to the brothers' foibles and predilections over the past 16 films, it's easily the most Coen-y Coen movie they've put out. But then, they are stealing from the best.
Expectations were high heading into this movie given the talent behind it. Solid but not spectacular.
If you have seen the trailer and if you know anything about the communist witch hunt that swept through Hollywood then you have effectively seen this film. With a simple plot and needless characters (what is the point of Johansson's character?) this is one to miss.
The film is busy. it very busy in being clever. writers are communists, a tap dancer is a soviet spy. There are a lot of ideas in this film, hitting a film star equates to murder, messing up their beautiful face is a cardinal sin. conspiracies play a part, propaganda is a key element. what is news and what is just fluff, and do the journalist actually...
Hence the title and the goings on that surrounded the actors, especially if they were presumed to be Red supporters. Tatum Channing doing a brilliant song and dance routine and finally sinks beneath the sea (just like moneybags) in a submarine. Gosh I thought all the actors and actresses played their role to the hilt, from Josh Brolin right down to the...
Okay, it is a poor musical pun on my part; but that doesn't stop the movie from being well worth seeing. Loved Tilda Switon. Loved Michael Gambon's voice. Loved Ralph Fines. Oh, they were all good. It may not be on the top 10 list for the year, but it is on the must see list for the year.
It's packed full of fantastic actors, great storyline and witty and sardonic at it's base. A very entertaining film from start to finish.
For those people who say this is not a great Coen flick I might argue that this one may need to sit with you a while. The vignettes were superb. Each major player got equal screen time and every character was well developed. The story may have seemed disjointed but for anyone who knows the Eddie Cantor/ Goldwyn girls movies from the golden age this was a...
The trailer didn't promise much but the movie was actually very entertaining. It is worth going to see and a was good laugh. 1 hr 45 running time was good, not too short and not too long.
And I mean that headline in the best way possible. This movie is full of clever dialogue, fun and you don't really know what is going on until a good third of the way into it. I loved every minute of it though. It's not nearly as gripping as No Country For Old Men or as delightful as O Brother Where Art Thou but, man, you can't help but love Baird...
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