Of self-love and heartlessness

Rating: 6/10 (23 June 2019)

'Hail Caesar' is not the first movie where Joel and Ethan Coen have lovingly curated a pastiche of another world, and then proceeded to make a comedy that isn't really funny because it doesn't have a heart. There really is something wonderful about this over-the-top portrait of 1940s' Hollywood; but its marred by the film's deliberate self-consciousness, from the ridiculous voiceover (as also used in 'The Big Lebowski') downwards. The Coens are often acclaimed, and there's no doubt they have a certain vision; but to my mind, the only film of theirs that worked completely was 'Fargo', where the deadpan comedy of the absurd was matched by a portrait of everyday tenderness. But 'Hail Caesar' feels more like an (admittedly clever) act of self-love.