Irrational exuberance

Rating: 6/10 (25 February 2016)

When Alan Greenspan warned against irrational exuberance, back in '96, he was talking about the stock market. But the Coen Brothers could use the same warning. Their best films are brilliant in their simplicity. Examples: Blood Simple, Fargo, Barton Fink. The story can be summarized in a few lines, there are relatively few characters, and the cinematography is sober.
'Hail, Caesar' is the complete opposite. It has an intricate story with lots of different characters. The cinematography is exuberant and sumptuous. But the result is disappointing. The deadpan jokes, the sharp edged dialogue, the mildly bizarre characters that make other Coen movies so entertaining, have made way for slapstick humor and outrageous scenes.
The film is a work of skill, because the Coen Brothers are expert film makers. And the actors are good, although most have little screen time and some are overdoing it. But the film is not extremely funny, neither particularly exciting. The pastiches of classic Hollywood scenes are the best parts, but the story about a Hollywood troubleshooter running from one disaster to the other feels as if the brothers have put too many ideas and characters into a single movie.
It's not the first time the Coen Brothers poke fun at Hollywood. They did the same thing when they made Barton Fink. But that film was infinitely more intelligent, funny and entertaining than this one.