The film centers on the turbulent day for Josh Brolin's Hollywood fixer Eddie Mannix, who's responsibility consists of avoiding bad press for the A-listers of Capitol Pictures (which was referenced in Barton Fink). This particular day is the more peculiar of them all, with no less than a pregnant single actress, gossip columns, uncompromising actors, and ultimately the disappearance of Capitol Pictures' biggest film star Baird Whitlock (George Clooney). 

The latter is what sets the entire film in motion, with Mannix having to pay a ransom to a mysterious organisation to return the studios' prized property, whilst Whitlock eventually cross paths with his mystery captors. While the main stars (Brolin and Clooney, as promoted by the posters) do a bang-up, if not entertaining job in their respective roles, their characters don't have much to do, despite them being the central focus to the plot as well as the screen times. The reveal is likewise disappointing, after a solid and hilarious build-up after Whitlock was nicked.

Instead, what shines in Hail Caesar! is when the story shifts away from the main storyline of Brolin/Clooney, as we take a journey around the tribulations that surround Capitol Pictures. Ralph Fiennes' eccentric soap opera director and Tilda Swinton's twin reporters are the sweet spots in this increasingly convoluted film. 

The cherry on the cake however, is of Alden Ehrenreich, plucked from his spaghetti western roots into a drama to comedic effects, especially in his interactions with Fiennes. The other members of the cast, including Scarlett Johansson (continuing her Brooklyn portrayal from Don Jon), Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill all inject brisk humour in what little minutes they have on screen, making them more cameo appearances than an actual supporting role, similar in nature to the multiple characters in The Grand Budapest Hotel. In hindsight, Hail Caesar! feels like multiple stories packed into a film with little connection between one another.

The ascetics of the film was also to be commended, with exquisite sets, costumes totally living in the spirit of cinema's past as a result of the Coens' love for the 'source material', especially with the implementation of the directors' famous 'film within a film' segments, with obvious stunt doubling, fake props and wire jumps, posing as an obvious nod to remind us of the simpler, CGI-less times of Hollywood. Hey, slap some black and white filter on the Hail Caesar clips (not the film itself, but the film set within the film) and it wouldn't look out of place along the likes of Spartacus. 

Truth be told, Hail Caesar! is the first Coen Brothers film that I've actually watched, but after watching the excellent Fargo TV series (produced by them and inspired by their film adaptation) and further intrigued by its exciting trailer, this film failed to achieve the high expectations/watermark I had (as I should, considering their pedigree). While the casts' performances is one of the strongest we have seen on screen in ages, the execution seems to fall flat by just cramming every small but great idea around an uninspiring plot. If you're a fan of old films or classic Hollywood, you'll already appreciate Hail Caesar! solely for its beautiful satire, with some standout performances plus entertaining chuckles along the way.

6.5/10

"No repeat after me... Would that it were so simple"