Hail, Caesar!

The Coen brothers have been making movies for over thirty years, making classics like Fargo, The Big Lebowski and No Country For Old Men. These movies leave you with one feeling above all; satisfied. Their latest movie, Hail, Caesar!, feels more like the fast food version of one their films, it feels good while you're watching it, but later you wonder if you really needed it after all.

Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) is the head of production for Capitol Pictures. He is also a 'fixer' and helps get movie stars out of sticky situations. One of these situations arises when the studio's biggest stars Baird Whitlock (George Clooney) goes missing when he is shooting a biblical epic about Jesus. Meanwhile he has to deal with an array of problems on the studio lot, including Western star Hobie Doyle (Alden Ehrenreich) moving to a more dramatic role where he clashes with director Laurence Laurentz (Ralph Fiennes) over directing choices and the pregnant actress DeeAnna Moran (Scarlett Johansson) has to search for a father for her unborn child. Floating in the background are the Thacker sisters (both played by Tilda Swinton), rival gossip columnists who are on the prowl for the latest Hollywood scoop.

Hail, Caesar! is a glowing tribute to the Golden Era of Hollywood. The Coen's parody an array of movies and stars from this period, including Kirk Douglas and Charlton Heston, costume dramas, westerns and musicals. In fact there is a fantastic extended song and dance number by Channing Tatum which is a joy to watch. The subject of communism in Hollywood is broached upon, but it is in a rather lighthearted way. The blacklisted writers are shown as diehard followers of the cause and will even help people defect to Russia. This movie is also a defence for anyone who loves cinema. The Throughout the the film, Mannix is repeatedly targeted by the jet company Lockheed, whose representative implores him to leave the movie industry behind, calling it silly and frivolous. Ultimately Mannix sticks with the industry because he loves.

Josh Brolin's Eddie Mannix is a strong central character. He embodies the no-nonsense studio exec who relies on things to run on clockwork perfectly. Brolin has enough range to do serious and character roles like this one. He isn't taking himself too seriously, which suits the role amazingly. All the characters apart from Mannix don't get too much screen time, but the actors who play them leave a mark. George Clooney who I think of as quite a strong figure in Hollywood, plays the stereotypically cowardly and bumbling movie star. Alden Ehrenreich gives a funny performance as Hobie Doyle, as he struggles to give the articulation needed for more dramatic roles. Ralph Fiennes also gives a hilarious performance as his over-the-top English director. Channing Tatum and Scarlett Johansson both have extended musical numbers in which they are great.

I did leave Hail, Caesar! feeling slightly empty, like I hadn't really taken anything away from it. But as I look back on the film, it is filled with enjoyable tidbits and cameos that will keep you enjoying it for days after.

Fargo & the Value of the Hollywood Remake by Edward Christie

So I have my first exterior submission for a review and it's a little different from what I normally post. My friend and fellow film student, Edward, has submitted an essay entitled Fargo and the value of the Hollywood remake. Remember, if you want to submit a review or essay of your own, you can email me at jackreviewsubmit@gmail.com

Fargo & the Value of the Hollywood Remake

by Edward Christie

As the text “This is a true story” began to fade in over the long snowy road covered in darkness, the first thought that hit my mind was, “Oh here we go again, another hollywood carbon copy”. Thankfully within the first half of episode one, it became apparent that this was not the case. The TV series “Fargo”, rebooted by Foxtel’s FX channel is not a mere remake of the classic Coen Brother’s 1996 film of the same name, nor does it carry on from those events as some form of sequel. Instead, the series takes the premise of the characters and the environment, and weaves them into a new, intriguing and amusing plot. Unlike some other reviewers, I would not describe the characters as brand new, as there are many crucial similarities between the series’ characters and their film counterparts.Rather, I see the series as more of a ‘What if?’ scenario, exploring a parallel universe with similar quirky characters that experience a comparable yet provocative series of events that you will find absolutely impossible to stop watching until the close.

The acting from the cast is superb all round, but especially from Martin Freeman, who certainly does justice to William H. Macy’s Academy Award Nominated performance. I found the cinematography to be a little bit more active here than it was in the film - which in my opinion contains some of the most provocative static shots in film history - yet overall it manages to uphold the same aesthetic that Roger Deakin’s & the Coen Bros. created, which is crucial to the unusual feel of the film. Overall, I cannot recommend the series to you more, especially if you are a fan of the original movie. But of course, I’m sure you’ve heard the same advice from countless reviewers by now.

There was one question though, that really gnawed at my brain throughout: Is it the fantastic acting, directing and writing that I find truly enjoyable about the series, or is it more the weird, sadly humorous and utterly depressing universe that the Coen Brother’s created that keeps me coming back for more? I cannot understate the importance of the aforementioned qualities of the series but the core concepts that make it so enjoyable - the town, the people, their accents, the original crimes & the offbeat humour - are all undeniably present in the film (albeit in different forms). It is therefore challenging to decide who truly deserves the acclamation for this series.

There are other instances where this is also the case. Another contemporary example would be Netflix’s House of Cards - a remake of the original BBC political drama - which so far has been brilliant in almost every respect. Yet despite possessing the unmeasurable talent of Kevin Spacey, who in my not so humble opinion is probably the greatest actor of his generation, I find it difficult for his Underwood to surpass Ian Richardson’s scheming, cheeky, quintessentially British Francis Urquhart. Of course, this is all down to a matter of opinion, but I personally believe that no matter how outstanding the remake/sequel/spin off, whatever you want to call it, will be (and don’t get me wrong, both Fargo and House of Cards certainly do justice to their predecessors), I will most likely always turn off my TV or walk out of the theatre thinking, “Well that was brilliant, but was it really necessary?”.

So I’d like to summarise this article with three ratings:

Fargo (1996 Film): 4 stars

Fargo (2014 Television Series): 3 & ½ stars

The concept of Hollywood Remakes: 1 star.

Inside Llewyn Davis

The Coen brothers are fantastic filmmakers. They can make light-hearted films (The Big Lebowski), brooding pseudo-action films (No Country for Old Men) and crime films (Blood Simple). Almost all their films are funny. And so is Inside Llewyn Davis. At times. Mostly though, it's just cold and a little sad.

Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac) is a struggling folk singer. He used to be doing okay until his partner committed suicide. He drifts around staying at his friends apartments in Greenwich Village. The film centres on a week in his life as he tries to get recognised for his solo music, playing gigs, helping his friend Jim (Justin Timberlake) record a new song and traveling across the country to visit a manager.

The film was very weak on story, which is very unlike a Coen brothers film. Normally, they fill a film with so many plot points and characters, it's hard to keep up. But this film is more character based. I'm not sure how I feel about that approach.

On the other hand, the performances are fantastic. Oscar Isaac has really shown that he has what it takes to be a lead actor. In the past he's only been in supporting roles, but he shows an emotional range in this film that can't be ignored. Carey Mulligan (who played Isaac's wife in Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive) is fantastically cold as Jean, a fellow folk singer. There are some great performances by Adam Driver (Girls) and John Goodman (everything!) too.

I was not expecting (and a little stupidly on my part) for all the songs to be played in full. I was a little taken back by this, but it is a movie about a musician so I should have seen it coming. Folk music just isn't my thing.

Verdict: I was a little let down by this film, but then again I don't know what I was expecting. Oscar Isaac gives a fantastic performance.