Not as good as I hoped but amusing

Rating: 5/10 (3 April 2016)

You see trailers for Hail, Caesar! and you expect lots of 1950s high jinx on set during the last decade of the glory days of the Studio System. Lots of homages and nods to real Hollywood actors. Clooney plays the main actor cast in the film within film of the Crucifixion (good for Easter release) and the centurion at the base of the cross who says "surely this man in the Son of God" etc. Brolin plays the Studio Fixer who dances around Press, covers up scandal and sees that everything runs smoothly. Clooney gets kidnapped. Channing does some entertaining Gene-Kelly-esque "there are no dames" songs whilst looking like he has painted on cheekbones, cameos all over the place. Cohen Brothers' films are generally brilliant, and this is funny, but it's not as good as was expected. The laughs get tired, the film is a bit too long and when you emerge from the cinema you think, "what was that really about?" The film is a weaving of small plots which are good viewing but are shallow. I expected more than the communist subplot and the confessional bookends of story underlining generally good guy in a challenging world. For all the stars, and kudos, it's disappointing and if it wasn't for the stellar cast, or the writer's status, I don't think this would have made it to the cinema... Funny, and a good date night film.