In 1951, Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) runs entertainment powerhouse Capitol Pictures. He's also a "fixer" who maintains his stars' good public images. He feels trapped in his job and life. So an offer to work at Lockheed seems tempting. But first, he has to manage his studio's latest biblical epic, Hail, Caesar!, which has a PR disaster looming. Its star, Baird Whitlock (George Clooney), has been nabbed by a Communist cell called "The Future." And they want lots of cash.
Meanwhile, The Coens let us see what else Capitol Pictures has in the pipeline. A classy drama, Merrily We Dance, whose star, singing cowboy Hobie Doyle (Arden Ehrenreich), can't shake off his drawl. An Esther Williams-esque musical, whose star, DeeAnna Moran (Scarlet Johansson), is pregnant out of wedlock. And a Gene Kelly-esque musical starring Burt Gurney (Channing Tatum), a major player in Whitlock's plight. Mannix has to keep those productions running smoothly.
Whether or not you get the jokes depends on your knowledge of film history. The Communists count influential philosopher Herbert Marcuse (John Bluthal) as one of their members. Many of the characters are substitutes for real-life figures (or use their names). And the whole process of old time film-making gets skewered. That last part provides some accessible jokes, especially editor C.C. Calhoun's (Frances McDormand) near-fatal encounter with her Moviola.
The best part is the Coens' depiction of moviemaking. It's a highly-exaggerated process that makes one wonder how "The Dream Factory" made worthwhile products. One of Mannix's first scenes has him discuss Hail, Caesar! with religious leaders. They make themselves look foolish by arguing over the specifics of God and Christ and ... something. The in-film itself has odiously-exaggerated accents that would derail a modern epic. And they expect this to be their "prestige picture?" Meanwhile, Merrily We Dance has director Lorenz (Ralph Fiennes) deal with Doyle's miscasting. Those scenes provided the best in-universe outtakes of the film.
The Coens have a great crew to visualize old time Hollywood. Their longtime cinematographer, Roger Deakins, makes the films-within-a-film look authentic. Their equally longtime composer, Carter Burwell, provides another good score. Burwell also co-wrote a few songs, including Gurney's catchy dance number "No Dames." Jess Gonchor's production design gives us some nice sets within giant soundstages. And the costume designs by Mary Zophres give us plenty of elaborate 50's fashion. The most elaborate fashion comes from the Thacker Sisters (Tilda Swinton), twin take-offs of Hedda Hopper.
Hail, Caesar! is a lot more optimistic than Barton Fink. The latter film is about a screenwriter stuck in Hollywood purgatory by the end. Hail, Caesar! is about finding joy in what you do. It's a lot more optimistic than many of the Coens' filmography, especially their most recent works. But the Coens' farcical talents are still on display. The various subplots and cameos stall the plot a bit, but they all become useful at the end.
Even if the references fly over one's head, the cast and crew the world of old Hollywood feel authentic. So all in all, Hail, Caesar! is a goofy farce about Hollywood as it was. And it works on those terms.
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