Another good Coen Brothers achievement

Rating: 6/10 (9 April 2016)

"Hail, Caesar!" is an American 100-minute movie that came out this year and plays roughly half a century in the past. It features some of the most known Hollywood actors right now, but I will not go into detail there as you can check out the cast list for that. Still, I want to comment on some of them. Brolin was okay as the main character. Admittedly his material wasn't as a baity as some of the supporting players' material. This especially refers to George Clooney who could let it all out here and had some pretty funny moments. Tilda Swinton and Channing Tatum were so-so. I personally did not find their characters really that entertaining. Scarlett Johansson was different to what she usually plays. Thumbs up for that, even if it was just a minor role. Jonah Hill was basically a long cameo. Pill was pretty forgettable. One of the finest performances came from Ralph Fiennes, who proves once again that a mix of drama and comedy is perfect for him. Great line delivery. And finally, a special mention goes to Alden Ehrenreich, who not only held his own very well against all these big names, but actually is a definite contender for MVP. He may have a great career ahead.
As a whole, this film works best when you see it as a retro comedy. Yes, there are dramatic moments and political references, but it is all very light-hearted. The Coens give the film their usual approach with their very unique brand of situational comedy that works oh so well. I personally loved "Inside Llewyn Davis" and it would not be fair to compare this film here to their best achievements. It is not among their greatest works, but that is only because they have been so amazing in the past, not because this one here sucked. It certainly didn't. "Hail, Caesar!" was quite an entertaining watch from start to finish. Smartly written and executed with precision and lots of love to detail. I recommend checking it out, especially to fans of the television show "Mad Men" as this is exactly the era during which it is set and you may have one or two déjà vus here. Costumes and music were convincing too from the perspective you see them. Go check it out.