'Hail Caesar' Preview

The Coen Brothers’ upcoming comedy ‘Hail Caesar’ is slated to hit theaters February 5^th.  Featuring a stellar cast that includes George Clooney, Josh Brolin, Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Tilda Swinton, and Frances McDormand,  the film takes place in 1950s Hollywood.  ‘Fixer’ Eddie Mannix (Brolin) is recruited to help right the ship on a movie production that stars Baird Whitlock (Clooney), a bumbling A-list actor who can’t remember his lines.  When Whitlock is taken hostage and held for ransom, chaos ensues.

The first Coen Brothers film since 2014’s ‘Inside Llewyn Davis,’ - which was an earnest character study of an aspiring folk singer/songwriter in the 1960s - ‘Hail Caesar’ presents as a zany comedy more in the vein of the Coens’ previous films  ‘O Brother Where Art Thou’ and ‘The Big Lebowski.’  In the trailer, Johansson flexes her comedy chops by adopting an abrasive New Jersey accent, and Hill shows his deep-seated insecurity shtick is good as ever.  A visual spectacle, vibrant colors pervade the scenes and costumes shown during the brief two and a half minute trailer.

Though it’s not likely to make a splash at the Academy Awards, ‘Hail Caesar’ should deliver a bevy of incompetent characters, a few belly laughs, a glut of witty dialogue. The film is primed to be another addition to the Coen Brothers’ impeccable filmography.