I’m cautiously optimistic about the Coen Brothers’ latest movie, opening this Friday 2/5/16. So far, Variety likes it a lot.
I plan to see it in the theater. Anyone else?
I’m always up for a Coen Bros. movie. It’s the small glimpses that make their films great.
I’m planning to see it this weekend. Wasn’t there a period when Mr. Clooney wore his hair in a Caesar style (and wasn’t he roundly mocked?)?
I hope it is fun. Sure looks like it has possibilities.
Coen brothers; excellent cast. Hopefully it’s another O Brother and not another Ladykillers. The trailers look promising. I’ll be there to find out!
I’m having a hard time making up my mind about the trailers, and I think it’s because the characters are all actors. It’s hard to tell the difference between actual bad acting, and good acting that’s deliberately mimicking bad acting.
A Coen Brothers movie is almost always worth a look. However, the fact they’re releasing this film in February on Super Bowl weekend (a usual dumping ground) puts me more on the “cautious” side.
I’m hoping for something fun like The Hudsucker Proxy and not dull like Inside Llewyn Davis. And actually I’m kind of looking forward to a portrayal of the old studio system, with the lavish sets and elaborate costumes.
The New Yorker loves it: The Coen Brothers’ Marvellous “Hail, Caesar!” | The New Yorker
It looks like it might be the same joke over and over. Look at how dumb and venal these people are!
I’ve been watching the Rotten Tomatoes page for this movie all week. Virtually no reviews at first. Usually not a good sign itself but more bad than good. But things are rolling in now.
(Wed. eve.) It’s 79% (27-7) overall and 73% (8-3) for top critics. The number of the latter is low but it’s only Wed.
A glance at the critic blurbs shows quite a few “positive” reviews aren’t really all that positive. Apparently kind of a lightweight film that’s “good enough” in parts.
And I pray it’s not like that awful Hudsucker thing. That kind of goofiness isn’t really in their wheelhouse.
Bought a ticket for tonight at 9:40 PST. Beating the weekend crowd. I’ll post later with:
Spoiler boxes. 
A week ago or so, The New York Times ran an article about the real-life guy being portrayed by Josh Brolin. I was annoyed that the story casually mentioned something that I think spoils a plot point in the film.
I just heard about this movie today on NPR. Coen brothers, plus a cast list that includes George Clooney, Scarlett Johansson, Tilda Swinton, Ralph Fiennes, Josh Brolin, and more? Definitely worth checking out.
The Coens have built up enough good will with me that I’ll give ANYTHING they do a look. And I am rarely disappointed.
(but probably not in the theater. that just doesn’t work for me these days)
Well… I’d review this film if someone wants to tell me what it was about. I’m 45, live in SoCal, I WORK in the film industry, and I don’t get it. Sure, it pays homage to classic Hollywood films and genres, but it seemed to run like an SNL episode.
[spoiler]So we have a light-hearted Coen Bros film, slightly references Jesus’s journey, fear of communism, mostly set in a very vacant Capitol movie lot. Honestly, did they make 3 pictures a year? The only films that we know about are the ones that have a set. (??) If I produced this film, I’d say, hire another 2,000 extras.
Other than the life of a busy studio exec for one day, there’s nothing else. Clooney is “kidnapped” and dropped off at a Malibu private paradise where miffed screenwriters, who don’t get the millions for their vision-- the studio does-- claim to have faith in communism. They’d all have their cut and be happy. (That was the biggest chuckle that came from me.) They mention the owner of the house couldn’t be there, but will be later. That owner is Channing Tatum, the all-American Navy dancer in film, and it turns out HE’S the one who ordered Clooney’s capture, so he could make the studio pay cash ransom and take it with him to Russia, via submarine.
So we see Mannix easily juggle this ransom as easy as picking up lunch. Makes one call, gets the money to the delivery place, all while being recruited by Lockheed for a dream job for any of us. He visits confession about every 12 hours to confess… nothing. “I was late for dinner.” He doesn’t have any affairs with hot actresses, shoot anybody, scam anybody. He actually has a great home life with family as he remembers what his kids have going on at school and in little league.
Besides Brolin, Tatum, Clooney, Enrehenreich(Sp?), the rest of it is basically one scene with each actor. Thank goodness Jonah Hill was limited to about six short lines. We don’t see what happens to Tatum after boarding the sub, Johannson in two scenes, Lockheed Pitchman in the same booth at the same restaurant… I suppose doing this is supposed to remind us that this cushy job will be boring, everyday office work as compared to busy unpredictable days in Hollywood filmmaking.
The best part was all the homages, great performances, but I really don’t see what the point was. If A Simple Man was Old Testament, was this supposed to be New Testament? How and why?[/spoiler]
I’m anxious for the good Dopers to shed light on this one.
Haven’t seen it, not particularly a Coen Bros. fan, but I’ve always gotten a kick out of pieces with a bunch of guest stars like they used to have on TV (not variety shows but TV series or movie-of-the-weeks, that sort of thing). Because of that, as well as the time period it’s portraying, I’m very curious to see this.
I heard the NPR review yesterday.
Saw it this AM with the Mrs. She and I have seen most of the Coen bros. pics, and enjoyed some of them a LOT. Others, less so.
I have no idea what to do with this movie.
I got some moderate enjoyment and amusement and even edification out of a lot of the scenes.
But it just didn’t seem to go anyplace I was interested in going.
I should amend that a bit; it took me to some interesting places, but they never got that interesting. It made me laugh, but not that hard, and not that often.
I thought it may be one of the Coen’s most subtle film, and one that actually had a very serious message underneath. It’s not as funny as the ads indicate (a common problem), but the actual story beneath the humor is filled with ramifications.
[spoiler]It’s a movie about religious faith and belief. The movie is about Eddie Mannix: clearly devout, clearly willing to do some shady things, and trying to balance the two. One interesting point – he’s offered a better paying job at Lockeed, one that allows him to spend more time with his family (something he clearly wants to do) but turns it down – most likely because Lockheed worked on the H-bomb. Clooney’s speech at the end (even though he muffs it) is is a reflection of Mannix’s state of mind. Also note that Mannix confesses his sins twice in the time frame of the movie, but doesn’t mention anything he’s done on the lot – lying to Tilda Swinton, covering up a pregnancy, etc.
I’ve seen this with other movies: films that deal with religious faith get hit with a barrage of nitpicking. [/spoiler]
The movie references were just a bonus (did anyone else notice the extended Hitchcock riffs on the moviola?). I wouldn’t say this was their best, but it’s got a lot of meat and depth to it.