Hail, Caesar!

The Film Board Gathers! The Coen Brothers are back, this time channeling the spirit of old Hollywood. Josh Brolin plays Eddie Mannix, the studio fixer charged with keeping the studio in fine form. His big star goes missing. His big starlet gets pregnant. His young hunk can’t act, but has the voice of an angel. And, oh yes, Commies.

George Clooney plays Baird Whitlock, our kidnapped screen vet, but this film is chock full of stunt casting. Ralph Fiennes, ScarJo, Tilda Swinton (x2!), Frances McDormand, and oh yeah… if you saw the trailer, you’ve seen just about every line spoken by the good Jonah Hill.

How does it all come together? Does the Coen script live up to the other films in their idiot trilogy? Does the stunt casting serve the story? How well does Roger Deakins’ camera live up to the era? And what about Carter Burwell? After a disappointing review in January’s conversation on The Finest Hours, does the score turn the Board around? All this and more this month as Steve Sarmento, Justin Jaegar, Andy Nelson, Pete Wright, and Tommy Handsome come together to spoil the Coen’s latest, “Hail, Caesar!”

Film Sundries

About the show

The Film Board gathers a rotating panel of film lovers from across The Next Reel Family to dig into a movie that just hit theaters. No tiptoeing around the ending, no "we won't spoil anything." Full spoilers, strong opinions, and the kind of argument you wish you could have with the friends you saw the movie with.

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