Mentioning the Cohen Brothers (Blood Simple, Fargo, No Country for Old Men) and their film work usually generates one of three responses; I hate it/them, I do not understand it/them. I love it/them.
My opinion of the Cohen Brothers is the last of the three with occasional consideration for including the second statement. However, if you do not like the work of Cohen Brothers, their new film Hail Caesar will not change your mind.
Hail Caesar is a comedy that is pin point accurate in its depiction of people or the subject it is spoofing. Hail Caesar is goofy but not goof-ball. It is a movie that is clever, smart and funny, but does not generate continuous laugh-out loud guffaws.
The beauty of most Cohen Brother films is that they feel like a presentation being made by someone or some team of people with expert knowledge and first hand experience on the subject matter who happen to include wonderful sight gags and funny lines.
Many of the Cohen Brothers Reparatory Theatre Players join the fun in Hail Caesar (John Brolin, George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand) as well as newcomers who are presently movie industry top-billing actors (Ralph Fiennes, Scarlett Johannson, Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill). All perform their roles to the level you would expect. Alden Ehrenteich (Blue Jasmine) as Hobie Doyle is superb.
The Cohen Brothers Reparatory Theatre A Team on the production side also signed up for Hail Caesar; Tim Bevan – Producer, Cater Burwell – Music, Roger Deakins – Cinematography, Nancy Haigh – Set Decoration and Mary Zophres – Costumes). The work from this list of people is reason enough for me to go see a film.
