Hail, Caesar!

Hmmmm. 

Well that was interesting...

Ever see a film and realize, "I'm sure a lot of people will enjoy this, but this just isn't for me."? 

Last year's Carol was my most recent example of this...a gorgeous film with stellar performances and it was adored by critics. Through my lens though it was one of the most boring and conflict-free films I've probably ever seen. 

Hail, Caesar! is in that same grouping, but not for the same reasons. Much like Carol, I've been looking forward to this one. Anything directed by the Coen brothers is immediately on my radar and the previews made this look like a really fun trip with tons of stars like George Clooney, Josh Brolin, Channing Tatum, Scarlett Johansson, and Jonah Hill, among others. 

It easily made my "Must See" list for February films. 

It's never fun being disappointed at the movies and perhaps I went in with too high of expectations for this one. Perhaps I was expecting too much from the humor or the plot, but it disappointed me pretty significantly nonetheless. And I was surprised by why I was disappointed too. I wasn't laughing. The plot was a mess. There was no underlying purpose to the film. All things that I didn't expect in a film from the same brothers that have brought us such films as No Country for Old Men and The Big Lebowski. 

"Look...you only have 4 lines.
I need you to BE BETTER!"

As I watched Caesar! I believed that my final score was made up probably about 3/4ths of the way through with the assumption that the ending would have some revelations as to why all of this was happening. Which leads to my first gripe with the film...the ending doesn't do much to tie up anything and consequentially makes the whole film seem rather aimless. From beginning to end there are all of these characters connected very loosely and by the time the credits rolled I felt like nothing changed all that much from Part A (beginning) to Part B (end). That immediately always frustrates me. In addition to that, the journey from beginning to end is incredibly disjointed. I can think of at least 3-4 scenes that are completely unnecessary and at least 3 characters that didn't need to be in the film at all, but yet they're touted on the poster like key players. All this lends itself to a film that appears to float from scene to scene with no real connection to what may have happened before it and ultimately a very odd experience. 

Before I get to the highlights -- yes, there are some -- my final complaint rests in the humor. I get that the Coen brothers have a very specific type of humor. Many find The Big Lebowski much funnier than I did even though I enjoyed it. Aside from a handful of times, Caesar! just isn't that funny. Actually, let me make a correction: aside from a handful of times, Caesar! just isn't that funny to those of us "outside" the industry. I imagine that other actors/actresses, producers, directors, writers, etc. in or near Hollywood will think this is hilarious. To the rest of us? Not so much. It's odd too because it's not the type of humor that I'd chalk up to "going over my head". I very much understood that a joke was being made more often than not. It just flat out was not funny.

Best scene of the entire movie, hands down.

In disbelief of the Batman
films he starred in ^^

All of these issues aside, I still found myself really amused with Hail, Caesar! which is a testament to the famous faces it enlists as well as several of its technical aspects. Josh Brolin is the main character and provides a very likable anchor for the film's several happenings. Clooney's character isn't as funny as I initially thought he'd be but as always, Clooney does well. For me though, Channing Tatum absolutely steals the show each of the two times he's on screen. The first being a really, really impressive (and funny) dancing/tap dancing number, the second being completely the opposite. At least for me, his scenes were the absolute funniest of the film. Which, I should say, there are a few funny bits. A few particular exaggerated slaps are hilarious as well as a few other bits, including one of a director trying to coach a new actor. While the film may have a hard time justifying all these scenes, characters, and their connections, it doesn't mean that it isn't fun to watch them have fun. Lastly, it's technically a strong film too, though nothing insanely impressive. Roger Deakins is responsible for the cinematography, but this is one of his weaker efforts I've seen.

There will be a group of people that enjoy Hail, Caesar! clearly...it currently has a darn good Metascore. I think it will fall flat with the general public and as someone who sees a lot of films, it mostly fell flat with me. The Coen's are extremely talented and snippets of their talent show up here, but to give them a pass for a movie that is lacking purpose, not all that funny, and is disjointed would defeat the purpose of why I write these reviews. 

I imagine this will end up on some critics' Top 10 lists of 2016. For me, I think it will end up being a nominee for "Most Disappointing".

CONS:

• From beginning to end, there isn't much concrete resolution or change. Life goes on and it makes the journey seem pointless
• Disjointed. There are scenes and even characters that are completely unnecessary. The way they're all connected is very, very loose
• Not all that funny. Aside from a handful of times, many of these jokes fall flat. Those "in the industry" might find more to laugh at, but I know that myself and my Friday night audience heard a lot of crickets

PROS:

• Features a fantastic cast that is clearly having fun in a Coen brothers film. They're all really enjoyable to watch
• Brolin provides a strong central performance
• Channing Tatum steals the show and has the funniest/best scene in the film
• A few really funny moments that are well earned laughter
• Entertaining look at the Hollywood of old with a few scenes from "older" movies that are both skewering, but enjoyable to watch
• Roger Deakins cinematography, even if it's not the best he's ever done

       

Rath's Review Score: 6.5/10