Hail, Caesar is a 2016 American comedy/mystery movie written, produced, edited, and directed by the Coen brothers, Joel and Ethan Coen. The movie stars great actors and actresses: George Clooney, Josh Brolin, Ralph Fiennes, Jonah Hill, Scarlett Johansson, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Alden Ehrenreich and Channing Tatum. The film is a fictional story that follows Josh Brolin’s character, Eddie Mannix, a real-life fixer and doer, working in the Hollywood film industry, trying to discover what happened to a cast member who suddenly vanishes mysteriously during filming.

      The film was first revealed to the world in 2004 and was originally supposed to be set to take place in the 1920s but later that time place setting was scrapped and changed to the 1950s instead. The brothers shelved the idea far until late 2013 when they stated that that’s when they started development. The film premiered on February 1st 2016 in Los Angeles and finally opened around the world on February 5th 2016. Many movie critics have given it positive reviews and many of whom praised its casting and called it “genius”.  

      Set in 1951, Hail Caesar takes place during a rough and transitional time for the film industry in Hollywood. The film industries’ studio systems were breaking down thus causing them to dispose of their movie theaters. Television shows, and just the whole concept of television while still in the early years of development, was threatening to pull audiences away from theaters and their masterpieces to offer. So, Hollywood reacted by producing multiple movie genres such as westerns, highly choreographed dance, and as the film title suggests, Roman epic wonders with massive casts.

      I went into the movie not knowing what the entire plot was but I thought I had a good idea of what it was going to be about. It was much more confusing than that. Although most movie critics are giving the film positive reviews, there are also some who would deny these positive reinforcers. According to Manhola Dargis, a movie reviewer for the New York Times, stated that “some of the movie is familiar and satisfyingly funny, even if there are laughs and bits that seem as if they were written to amuse only the Coens and the Turner Classic Movies crowd” There are indeed parts of the movie where the jokes go completely over a person’s head and that just because they aren’t in the film or Hollywood business. For example I had a great time at this movie. It was fun, smart and just all around a great time. Grab a few friends and go see it or even go see it by yourself!  Its an exhilarating movie and pretty fun and witty.

      The plot is kinda simple and I personally found it easy to follow.  It starts out in the early 1950s, Eddie Mannix is busy at work trying to solve all the problems of the actors and filmmakers at Capitol Pictures. His latest assignments involve a disgruntled director, a singing cowboy, a beautiful swimmer and a handsome dancer. As if all this wasn’t enough, Mannix faces his biggest challenge when Baird Whitlock gets kidnapped while in costume for the swords-and-sandals epic “Hail, Caesar!” If the studio doesn’t pay $100,000, it’s the end of the line for the movie star. It was a fun movie and easy to follow. At some points there were in fact jokes and comments that just went over my head mainly because I’m not a filmmaker but still all in all a good fun movie. Hail, Caesar! Gets a B+ in my book.