Hail and Hearty

Rating: 7/10 (13 February 2017)

George Clooney isn't an actor I rate particularly high, but, when he puts his mind to it, he really can act. His great performance in "Good Night and Good Luck" was one example. And here we have another.
The movie is set in the 1950s when, of course, the US was in the grip of McCarthyism. Clooney plays Baird Whitlock, an empty headed star of epic films. He is kidnapped by radicals who demand a ransom of $100,000. Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) is the studio heavy who has to sort this out, while handling pretty boy cowboy star Hobie Doyle (Alden Ehrenreich) who has been cast (OK, miscast) in a costume drama, fending off gossip columnists, considering a lucrative job offer, dealing with a pregnant starlet, and so on. On top of all that he's trying to quit smoking.
I wonder whether it's easier for actors to play actors playing a part than it is to just play the part. The performances are, in fact, a real strength of this movie. Clooney is engagingly irritating and Brolin turns in a surprisingly sympathetic performance for such a heavy character. I also liked Tilda Swinton in a dual role as two sisters who are rival gossip columnists!
The film captures the magic of 50s movies rather well. Scenes from the various movies being made as the story progresses are shown, including a rousing song & dance number called "No Dames" featuring Channing Tatum. When Whitlock is able to return to work, we get a scene that is set at the Crucifixion and gives Whitlock a chance to deliver a monologue that carries real power – until he forgets his lines!
The music is excellent too.
So, all in all, a pleasant, undemanding film experience.
Rating: 7/10.