Its okay

Rating: 6/10 (5 May 2016)

1. I have never loved the Coen brothers, and it amuses me that most people's problems with this film are the problems I've had with Fargo, The Big Lebowski and No Country for Old Men - character arcs wrap up off screen with no time to enjoy that they are there, and the focus of the film seems to be on one uninteresting aspect instead of a much greater potential.
2. Interestingly, I found this less with Hail, Caesar. The film's final ten minutes did a lot to improve my opinion of this film, linking the seemingly independent stories of Ralph Fiennes, George Clooney, Tilda Swinton and Channing Tatum together to give a nice feeling that we saw a window of Eddie Mannix's life and that another window might show dozens of other things going on. I also enjoyed the emotional conclusion for Eddie regarding his future - it felt natural and satisfying after a movie in which we've seen him doing his job.
3. The film's trailer was misleading as hell. Enjoy the trailer as a two and a half minute short film, not as a teaser for the film because it will be a massive let down. As I've said, most characters have nothing to do with one another and you barely get to register and enjoy the presence of Ralph Fiennes before he's gone. All of his best moments are in the trailer. Every single one.
4. The film is also too long - this should've wrapped around the 90 minute mark. Most scenes involving Baird Whitlock and the communists who kidnap him are overly dialogue-heavy without being smart or witty. Each of those sequences is enough to put you in a slump of boredom. Ironically, the gag with Frances McDormand playing a buffoon editor wastes about three minutes of screen time. The film being edited together by that fictional character would explain a lot.
5. Of the acting performances, I really enjoyed Josh Brolin as Eddie Mannix. It is not a flashy performance or even a memorable one, but he does a great job and I'm glad to see him headlining the cast. George Clooney is probably the most memorable as the loveably dopey leading man who is besotted by rumours from his early career and convinced of the virtues of Communism. Hearing him proudly and innocently explain his new worldview to an irritated Mannix is akin to watching Cosmo Kramer on Seinfeld, and Mannix's short and direct response is probably the funniest part of the movie thanks to Clooney's expression.
6. Alden Ehrenreich is likely the star made by this film, as the polite Western star who cannot act in serious roles to save himself. He has great chemistry with everyone and nails each moment of the script as required. Scarlett Johannson is memorable in a small role, and its great to see Wayne Knight, Clancy Brown and Allison Pill getting work.
7. Roger Deakins' cinematography is a shining light in the film, especially Scarlett Johannson's glorious mermaid sequence.
8. The best directed segment of the film was the "No Dames" song and dance routine led by Channing Tatum. The choreography is flawless, the lyrics spot on and the cinematography fantastic.
9. It is a credit to Joel and Ethan Coen's script that things do flow together. There are a few Chekhov's guns throughout, characters who distract you with their presence only to reveal themselves as being more important at the end. There's also some witty banter - such as between Mannix and four church leaders regarding the depiction of Christ - although let's not hail it as perfect, because then we have to sit through those Communist scenes again.
10. I wasn't insulted by Hail, Caesar but after watching the trailer so many times I'd be lying if I said I was wholly satisfied.