Communism or capitalism?

Rating: 5/10 (22 March 2016)

The Coen brothers, the directors responsible for films such as The Big Lebowski, O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Fargo. In their latest film Hail, Caesar! we follow a movie producer played by Josh Brolin, who during the 50's struggle to make films and at the same time handle difficult actors, directors and journalists. The film has a comical attitude much like their earlier film Burn After Reading, which I didn't really like. My expectations before watching this film, was that the brothers would find their way back to the fantastic comical timing they had in The Big Lebowski and O Brother, Where Art Thou?. Unfortunately they didn't succeed in doing so.
Films about old Hollywood and its filmmaking are interesting and funny because they usually contain a lot of hilarious tributes to people in the industry. Here the Coen brothers makes parody on the likes of Charlton Heston, Gene Kelly and the successful director Vincente Minnelli. Hail, Caesar! fires wildly in all directions. Angry journalist threats, unwanted pregnancies and the constant communist menace. The problem with this is that I don't really know in which direction the Coen brothers wants to go, or what they really want to say. Communism versus capitalism and that not everything is black and white? I guess you should also see it as a sort of parody on Hollywood's paranoia towards communists during the 60's and 60's.
Hail, Caesar! is a fun film. The production design and construction of Hollywood in the 50's is very nicely done. It also takes another turn when George Clooney's character in the film is shooting a picture of the old Roman Empire and also draws parallels to communism. I do however doubt if the Coen siblings really meant for it all to blend together in the diffuse way it did. I wonder if they actually had a more clear plan from the beginning. It probably would have raised my grade for the film if its focus and direction were better. However, I still think it is an interesting and funny picture and therefore I still grade it a six.