Disappointing but not horrible

Rating: 7/10 (25 May 2016)

Well, the Coen Brothers sure know a thing or two about making a film, and you will see plenty of it in Hail Caesar; but, is that enough.
Hail Caesar is the rather loose story of a film star that gets kidnapped by a group of Hollywood technical personnel, on the grounds that the studios they work for exploit them. Around this main plot, there's a few other subplots related to the period's Hollywood scene (bad actors, raunchy actresses, lazy crews, primadonnas), all held together by Josh Brolin (Detective Trupo_'s character, a "fixer" who makes sure things go smoothly despite having to work with these various airheads.
From a stylistic point of view, it's another jewel from the Coen Brothers; every frame a painting, nearly. The lights, sets, camera-work, it's all impeccable.
But, unlike many of their previous works, Hail Caesar winds up being a bit .. boring.
It's really down to personal preference, but i find the script to be pretty weak. Compared to many of their previous successes, such as Oh Brother, Hudsucker Proxy, True Grit, Lebowsky, or Fargo, this latest film just doesn't have the same kind of witty writing, intriguing story, and absurdist characters which we've come to expect from the Coens.
I wouldn't recommend Hail Caesar; Clooney phones it in for what little screen time he has, the subplots are unremarkable, the whole film is rather forgettable.
My vote, despite being a great Coen fan: 6.5/10 - skip this one.