O Movie, Where Art Thou?

Rating: 2/10 (7 February 2016)

Clooney has the uncanny ability to become associated with awful movies. "Hail, Caesar!" is a mess that smacks of five guys plotting over dinner how to make some spending money.
Let's tick off what's good, that's easy and quick: Crystal clear photography (a Coen trademark), and interesting sets & costumes. The bad & ugly are endless.
The few laughs are strained and forever in coming. The movie is less than two hours but it seems endless with dialogue that just drags, scenes that last forever with no point, and actors who listlessly read their lines - FOR REAL, NOT JUST FOR THE SARCASM. There is no plot, no point, no meaningful conclusion to the stitched together vignettes.
Spoof I understand. "Oh Brother Where Art Thou?" is a spoof, a parody. "Hail, Caesar!" is a spoof of audiences stupid enough to cough up their money and time.
This movie seems to be appealing to a narrow band of reviewers and critics knowledgeable of Hollywood's Golden Age, with some pointing out how stupid the rest of us are for not understanding. That's nice. It doesn't work on any other level.