A great film!... and misunderstood by quite a few around here it seems.

Rating: 9/10 (1 May 2016)

In Barton Fink, maybe the best Coen's movie so far, the introspective story of a screenplay writer in Hollywood's 30's is told. Coming from a totally different world, John Turturro's personage is engulfed by the pitiless machinery of the Hollywood industry.
We move some 15 years ahead and we are there again, same place, and pretty much the same story, but told in an totally different way, with comedy prevailing over drama (many of the commentators here seem actually to have entirely missed this last part, I'm sorry for them), and several story threads going their own way or intermingling with each other instead of a straight symbolic story with just 2-3 personages like in Barton.
The film is as much a homage to Hollywood as it is a sharp criticism. The number of references to classical Hollywood (films, actors, stories...) is uncountable, and only those who are true film lovers and have some background in cinema history, and actually history in general, will be able to fully enjoy it (might this be the reason why so many seem to be disappointed and delivering bad, and totally foolish, criticism...)
The screenplay is one of the most intelligent in films about filmmaking. The comedy parts are great, but that's just an aspect of the film, which has a lot more to dig into, although often disguised as a comedy, which may have mislead many fellow commentators around here.
Ave Cesar shows how filmmaking actually is, or was in retrospective back in the 50's; showing for instance the hard work behind a wonderfully crafted scene when we see it on the screen (someone here complained about the scared expression of Scarlett Johansson when role-playing an Esther Williams' alter ego!!!, is it possible he didn't realize that that expression was meant exactly to be like that???). This is just an example, but go see the film, and you will find lots like this. Then add a general tone of comedy, some crazy story threads like the one of the communist group kidnapping poor "Messala" (McCarthy was right in the end!!!), and you get Hail Caesar!, for sure one of the best films this year. But do not expect a plain comedy or you may end up disappointed.
A last hint, pay attention to two scenes: the encounter of the Roman centurion with Jesus Christ, look at the color of Christ's hair... then the final speech of this centurion at the foot of the cross and the effect it has on the audience there (the technical staff working in the film)... there is a lot to dig into in those two simple and, apparently, just comedic scenes, as there is throughout the film, but you will have to be a bit insightful to fully enjoy it.