With Hail Ceasar!, the Coen Brothers Give a Tip of the Hat to Old Hollywood
Having made films for over 30 years, one can safely say the Coen Brothers are now part of movie history. So it seems rather appropriate that with their 17th feature, Hail Ceasar!, Joel and Ethan Coen have decided to pay homage to the industry in which they have found so much success.
For this playful romp through post-war Tinseltown, the Coens assembled several of their previous collaborators (Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Scarlett Johansson and Frances McDormand) as well as several well-known actors, who they haven’t worked with previously (Ralph Fiennes, Tilda Swindon, Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill).
Brolin plays Eddie Mannix, the central figure in this campy tale. Mannix is a big-time executive at an archetypical, behemoth of a studio known as Capital Pictures. His days consist of rushing around putting out one fire after another, thus ensuring that things keep running smoothly on the studio’s numerous productions. A real three-alarm blaze breaks out when one of its stars, Baird Whitlock (Clooney) is kidnapped by a group of communist screenwriters.
While all this is going on, Mannix is being courted by the aeronautics industry, which is offering a lucrative position and the promise of being home for dinner each night. The demands of his current gig have him stretched to his limits. So much so that he reluctantly enlists the help of up-and-coming, cowboy star Hobie Doyle, who’s ably portrayed by the multi-talented Alden Ehrenreich. In Doyle, Mannix recognizes a kindred spirt; someone who believes in his beloved industry as much has he does.
Working separately, these two devotees of Hollywood Magic manage to get their star back and keep the studio’s dirty little secrets a secret. When the dust finally settles, Mannix realizes that he can never leave his studio job because making movies is just too damn important. So while he may miss dinner and his kid’s baseball games, he’ll ensure that the American public have a steady supply of films to distract them from the troubles of their everyday lives.
A person takes a considerable risk when they try to decipher what the Coen Brothers are saying with their often cryptic films. So I’m trying not to let my hands shake too much as I type this review. With the satirical way in which they depict Hail Ceasar!, the Biblical movie within the movie of the same name, I believe the Coens are saying that all systems of belief and devotion are inherently foolish pursuits. And yet people undeniably need to believe in something. So why not devote oneself to something joyful like making movies? It’s as good a way as any to spend a lifetime and the Coen Brothers are living proof.
