Hail, Caesar!

Rating: 10/10 (27 February 2017)

Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) works for the fictitious studio hybrid Capitol Pictures, (that is the only fictitious angle about this film, however). Mannix is a fixer, the one responsible for repairing the issues of his acting stars, keeping the religious leaders happy with the morals of the films of his studio's, and securing the money stays in the right places for film production. Mannix leads a busy life, but he is sure to make time for his daily stop to his Catholic Church's confessional. Despite the Priest's urging that his practice is excessive, Mannix still shows up, desperate to make amends for his transgressions, also to work through his own issues with his faith. During a typical day of dealing with pregnant single movie stars, placating religious leaders, and casting dilemmas, Mannix is dealt an extreme blow that his biggest star, Baird Whitlock (George Clooney) has been kidnapped. Those responsible for the stars kidnapping, who refer to themselves as "The Future" promise the safe return of the studio's star in exchange for $100,000. Not only does Mannix have to scrounge up the funds to pay off the ransom, but he has to do it while keeping the situation out of the gossip columns running Hollywood public opinion. All of Mannix's problems may be solved, however, if he accepts a surprise offer in management at the Lockheed Corporation overseeing secret atomic bomb testing. Does Mannix really want to leave behind his chaotic role at the studio, or is such the profession exactly what he needs for the self-discovery he so seeks.
The first and most obvious point to be made about the film is that it looks incredible. The use of color and the cinematography are works of art, leaping off the screen. It is no wonder the film was nominated for Best Production design, as the many large and elaborate sets were astonishing. Filming several movie sets is no small task. but the team behind Hail, Caesar! really pulled it off. Near the opening of the film, Brolin's character is discussing the depiction of Jesus in one of the studio's upcoming films with Priests, a Rabbi, and an Imam Khatib (maybe); this scene could come directly out of a joke, but it is complete perfection and timely in the film. It was a brilliant scene exposing, without a doubt, the faith-based journey the audience was about to take. What was an especially fun aspect of the film were the obvious caricatures of actors, directors, and producers from the studio era. As a fan of classic film, seeing such personalities as Ernst Lubitsch exaggerated on-screen was a true delight. There were also several notable supporting stars in the film it was a joy to see who would turn up next. Ever since I first saw Patrick Fischler in Mulholland Dr. I've wanted to see him in everything and was overjoyed that he briefly showed up in Hail, Caesar!. Typical of the Coen Brother's films, there was some brilliant camera angles to enjoy including wonderful low-angle, birds-eye-view shots and perfect shadow manipulation creating a beautiful film to look at. One of my favorite aspects of Hail, Caesar! was the frequency with which the audience gets to see the film from a perspective usually ignored. The camera is typically trained on the star of the film, but seeing the POV of an extra looking up at Baird Whitlock and all of his imperfections was a nice change. Whether it be a picture, a film, or anything else, I am always interested in what's going on in the background; what is it that is not being shown for a litany of reasons, and with Hail, Caesar! It is that background activity that gets such high regard, a refreshing angle for a film.
My favorite aspect of a Coen brothers film is the subtext. Even if I am not always a fan of the duo's work, the fact that each of their films are riddled with subtext create, at least, an engaging film-watching experience. The takeaway from Hail, Caesar!, for me anyway is its subtext on faith and religion. It's clear that the character embodied by Josh Brolin is grappling with his faith throughout the film. He takes time out of his schedule daily to go to confession, he deals with the religious depiction in his studio's films seriously and even has a God-like job himself. Brolin's Mannix is responsible for removing problems and making sure everyone's life is as painless as possible all the while controlling the flow of money and output of his studio. People turn to him when experiencing problems, much like they turn to Christ to help cope. In the end, Mannix is offered a job to help protect the lives of the whole world, furthering his relation to an omnipresent being. Evaluating faith and religion in such a way was a serious strength to Hail, Caesar!. A deeper evaluation of faith and religion should be explored through cinema, as it is the medium with which art is nearly limitless. The Coen brothers, never to shy away from depth in their films, strike gold again with a thorough analysis of faith, and what it means to adhere to a religion. If you examine Hail, Caesar! on its own, rather than an entry in the filmography of the Coen brothers, a deeper appreciation may be able to be experienced for a wonderful film with a rich, much-needed subtext.