I’m sad to say that Hail, Caesar! has proven to be quite the bore. Regrettably, I found the trailer far more entertaining than the movie.
The trailer is funny, filled with the glamour, colours and seemingly odd characters of 1950s Hollywood; all good things. I liked the fact that it didn’t give much away in terms of where the story was going or even who the key protagonist might be, and it moved at a more than reasonable pace.
Unfortunately, a slow pace and an inadequately intriguing story that never goes anywhere are my biggest issues with Hail, Caesar! Part of the problem might be that there were too many stories trying to happen at the same time.
On the positive side, in addition to the humorous moments (the best of which you see in the trailer) what I do like about Hail, Caesar! is the glamour and colourful attire worn by the film’s main female characters. Specifically, the characters played far too briefly by Scarlett Johansson, Tilda Swinton and Veronica Osorio. Had it not been for these highlights, I’m not sure I’d have made it through to the end.
Overall, I think I’d have much preferred to see only the funny moments in this movie; something like a Saturday Night Live comedy sketch format. An outrageous suggestion I’m sure, but I really was hoping for more from a Coen brothers written/directed film. I guess I’ll always shave the costumes and glamour.
Needless to say, Hail, Caesar! is not my favourite film by the Coens. That title will probably always belong to the excellent, No Country For Old Men (2007), a movie I’ll continue to recommend forever more.
Happy Film Loving,
G
