The Quarantine Stream: ‘Hail, Caesar!’ Doesn’t Get The Credit It Deserves As A Great Coen Brothers Movie
By Ben Pearson/June 20, 2020 10:00 am EST
Like many of the Coen Brothers’ movies, this one is bursting with religious themes and ideas, and its commentary on communism vs. capitalism (the fictional movie studio at the center of the story is called Capitol Pictures) is worth a second look. There are several layers of richness to peel if you’re willing to do the work, but if you’re not interested in engaging with Hail, Caesar! on that level, it also works wonderfully as simply one of their funniest films of the past decade. George Clooney is excellent playing another grade-A moron, but future Han Solo actor Alden Ehrenreich broke out in a big way as Hobie Doyle, the yokel who’s been cast in a fancy upper-crust drama but cannot hide his Southern drawl. The scene where he comes face to face with Ralph Fiennes’ snooty director character, Laurence Laurentz, is worth the price of admission alone.
