Average...

Rating: 5/10 (18 April 2016)

The Coen Brothers are geniuses. No two options on that. And sometimes, even the best of the minds around us, stumble & deliver something not very exciting. 'Hail, Caesar!' by the Coen Brothers, is their first downer in a long time, but with some really good performances & silliness, the one's a celebrated failure.
'Hail, Caesar!' Synopsis: A Hollywood fixer in the 1950s works to keep the studio's stars in line.
'Hail, Caesar!' isn't engaging enough & that's its biggest minus. The Coen's have a fun story to tell, but it doesn't translate on-screen as this big-fat tribute to the Golden-Age of Hollywood. The Characters are amusing, so are some of the dialogue, but beyond a point, the narrative just doesn't hold. The Coen's Screenplay is surely underwhelming this time around. Even their Direction, though passion driven, isn't remotely among their best.
'Hail, Caesar!' has a tremendous cast & they all seem deliver. Josh Brolin as Eddie Mannix, the protagonist, is reliably solid, delivering an arresting performance as the Fixer. George Clooney has never been this funny. He doesn't have a lot of scenes, but whenever he does get on-screen, he puts on goofiness with flourish. Alden Ehrenreich is an actor to watch. He's fantastic! Among the many cameos, Ralph Fiennes, Tilda Swinton, Scarlett Johansson, Frances McDormand, Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum & Christopher Lambert are truly terrific. Wayne Knight is first-rate.
On the whole, 'Hail, Caesar!' is a missed opportunity. But we all know the Coen's. They'll be back in no time.