Cinematography:
Roger DeakinsComposer:
Carter BurwellCast:
Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Alden Ehrenreich, Ralph Fiennes, Scarlett Johansson, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand, Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill (more)VOD (2)
Plots(1)
Wacky comedy drama from the Coen brothers, set in 1950s Hollywood when the studios were in their heyday. The story follows a day in the life of fixer Ed Mannix (Josh Brolin) who has to retrieve famous actor Baird Whitlock (George Clooney) after he has been kidnapped while filming the next big blockbuster 'Hail, Caesar!'. A group called The Future is holding Whitlock ransom for $100,000, and it's up to Mannix to get him back. (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment)
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Reviews (9)
I was counting on the fact that this movie would be reminiscing about the old Hollywood from the middle of the last century. The fact that it would have a billion never-ending references was also a given. But the fact that the Coen brothers arrogantly thought that we all know everything about Hollywood and that we would not only understand all the references but that we would also laugh at them; well, they were greatly mistaken. The movie actually isn’t that funny and that’s despite the fact that Josh Brolin with his producer have the main role, which could in and of itself create a dozen of infinitely funny scenes. But the humor couldn’t be drier than a martini in the Virgin Islands. A pity, I like the Coens, but this movie was horrible.
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I'd still look elsewhere for the weakest Coen, but, of all their their underwhelming films, Ave, Caesar! reeks of untapped potential by far the most. A film with such polished details, great cast and a flexible production design that is only accentuated by one Roger Deakins simply deserves a more coherent story structure, a better-developed central motif and certainly more punchy humour, which is masterfully offset by a powerful touch of irony in every shot and dialogue, but given that this is supposed to be a comedy first and foremost, there aren't many really funny moments in the long 100 minutes. The brothers try to parody too many things at once, and at times the result is a tired mess that hardly moves forward and is really only kept afloat by the stars: the energetic Clooney, of course, but most of all the fantastic Josh Brolin, whose tiny gestures and confident elegance once again reveal that he has grown into a Hollywood star of the first magnitude.
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Nice form, you simply have to give it to the Coens, they know how to play with film and it's very enjoyable to watch. For example, those dance scenes were absolutely great, excellent capturing of the era, I was entertained by some of the numbers, they have great actors here, but the whole thing just doesn't work for me and it's kind of meaningless.
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I’m not excited about this film by the Coen brothers, but it didn’t depress the hell out of me either. It's true that it was sometimes boring, but I do admit that I enjoyed some moments a lot (the mermaid, the illegal communist writers' group, Laurence Laurentz and Hobie Doyle). Especially the character played by Alden Ehrenreich was great and the scene where he meets Laurence blew me away. Overall, it was quite average.
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It's actually another feature-length Jewish anecdote from the Coen brothers, this time on the subject of belief in anything (in God, the Party, oneself, Hollywood...) and how and why it can be denied to the point of being denied. However, unlike (for example) A Serious Man, I would say that this is a much more accessible anecdote, in which jokes so dry that they almost make you gag alternate with those that provoke incredible bursts of laughter. I enjoyed it very much and the period atmosphere, abundantly supported by Deakins' beautiful cinematography and Burwell's easily recognizable music, was downright magical. "Hobie Doyle? Are you also a communist?"
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