The changing times of cinema
By Jerrison Oracion, Senior Columnist
4/5
In the 1950s, the landscape of cinema was rapidly changing. Televisions were becoming a part of people’s lives, the major film studios were making big epics and musical productions, and everybody was worried about the atomic bomb. Joel and Ethan Coen’s latest film, Hail Caesar!, explores those changes.
When one of Capital Pictures’ biggest stars, Baird Whitlock (George Clooney), is kidnapped by an organization called The Future, studio head Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) tries to rescue him. Along the way, Eddie helps solve the problems of the studio’s other top stars, including Deanna Moran (Scarlett Johansson), who is having a child, and western film star Hobie Doyle (Alden Ehrenreich), who is starring in his first period piece directed by Laurence Laurentz (Ralph Fiennes).
The film explores the capitalistic star system of the 1950s film industry, as well as the film production clichés of the time. There are many jokes involving stunt doubles, elaborate musical numbers, and Gene Kelly-styled dance numbers—including a humourous scene where Burt Gurney (Channing Tatum) does a dance number as a sailor.
As is common with the Coen brothers’ films, most of the actors had worked with them previously. While the film’s plot primarily focused on Eddie, Baird, and Hobie, the rest of the actors could have had a little more screen time. For example, a government agent named Joseph Silverman (Jonah Hill) only appears in one scene. There were a few other surprise cameos in the film, such as Frances McDormand as an editor at Capital Pictures, and Oscar Isaacs as one of the members of The Future.
Hail Caesar! is an intriguing look back at the golden age of cinema, and well worth your time if you enjoy period pieces or the filmography of the Coen brothers.
