Age of Empires: Review of Hail, Caesar!

Hail, Caeser!

Directors: Joel and Ethan Coen

By Alex Watson

Once more the Coen Brothers turn towards Hollywood's Golden Age in their picture Hail, Caesar! Making great use of constant star cameos, this makes for a great satire picture. Running a major studio can bring all kinds of headaches and there are smart nods to the scandals involving such greats as Clark Gable and Esther Williams. Set against the backdrop of the Cold War where suspicions were heightened and showing the studio system beginning to break down the Coens return to this land is a success.

Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) is a 'fixer' for Capitol Pictures who has just run into a major problem. Hail, Caeser! is set to be their biggest picture of 1951 starring Baird Whitlock (George Clooney), the problem is the actor goes missing and a group called 'The Future' is demanding a ransom. Eager to get back Whitlock before all hell breaks lose, Mannix must also deal with pregnant star DeeAnna Moran (Scarlett Johansson) and struggling cowboy actor Hobie Doyle (Alden Ehrenreich).

Although Hail, Caesar! is filled with different story lines, somehow it manages to juggle them all without dropping the balls. The scandal and scare-filled nature of the 1950s are present and correct and Mannix has hands full dispelling rumors. The Coens in their film studio world are able to give nods all kinds of productions such as cheap westerns, well choreographed dance films and lavish aqua themed sets. The kidnap plot is almost secondary to everything else, who precisely are The Future? The big reveal shouldn't surprise many but the bickering between numerous intellectuals will for sure entertain. Mannix knows he has a headache on his hands because Whitlock is known for his binges and affairs but this one might be beyond his control.

The hints towards different scandals show off the Coens movie buff knowledge. DeeAnna wants to adopt her own unborn child to avoid a scandal while Hobie is struggling to play a straight role in contrast to his usual 'singing cowboy' job. Ralph Fiennes shows up here as the thespian director Lawrence Lorenz and incredibly gives a masterclass in comic relief attempting to direct his undertalented star. Also, there is the issue of power hungry identical twins and Thora and Thessaly Thacker (both Tilda Swinton) who are both Hedda Hopper type gossip columnists. With cameos popping a mile a minute including Channing Tatum as Gene Kelly type musical star and Jonah Hill as a cynical surety agent, the Coens are having a blast.

While Hail, Caesar! sings and dances well, there is also the issue of too many cooks spoiling the broth. The third act is possibly the weaker the picture and while it is typically random and unpredictable it perhaps doesn't completely satisfy. However, this is a minor blemish on the Coens good work and they succeed in keeping us entertained. Their ability to be able to hop between both deathly serious and light as a feather touches has really marked them out over time. Delving back into the scandal and red threats of the olden days has been the picture spark into life. Mannix may be always questioning his life, but he cannot function without the thrill of the unknown.

Josh Brolin makes for an engaging and capable lead, his dour yet excitable edge makes Mannix come alive. Smartly linking his guilt for continually abandoning his family for the chase to this devout catholicism, Brolin is the very presence the Coens need. Supported ably by George Clooney who is a wonderful mix of arrogance and cluelessness, his Baird Whitlock is a great nod to leads such as Kirk Douglas. His gradual reawakening to a new found cause sets him on a slippery slope. The real star of the picture is Alden Ehrenreich because easily he matches the big stars blow for blow and comes out with the pictures strongest performance. Hollywood take note of this one.

Hail, Caesar! may not win the battle of the box office against Deadpool or Zoolander 2 but it is still a funny and smart picture that deserves your attention. The Coen Brothers are always unpredictable, who knows what era that will focus on next time?

Pawn Sacrifice: Review of Bridge of Spies

Bridge of Spies

Director: Steven Spielberg

By Alex Watson

Marking the fourth collaboration between Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, this one might just be their strongest effort yet. Bridge of Spies is a finely made thriller that almost effortlessly bring forward the tension and frailty that the Cold War provided. This ride to justice is a long one, but the journey never once feels strained. Thanks to an Oscar worthy Tom Hanks and a cracking Coen Brothers script we see how much one man was willing to put on the line to save others. 

When Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance) is arrested by the US Government for being a Soviet spy, insurance lawyer James B Donovan (Tom Hanks) is given the unlikely task of defending him. Despite the guilty verdict, he still presses for the mans innocence much to the displeasure of his fellow partner Tom Watters (Alan Alda). But when a US pilot is shot down while on a mission over Soviet territory, Abel and Donovan find themselves involved in a potential swap deal. 

Spielberg smartly does not rush the telling of his story in Bridge of Spies as he knows that the sheer power of it drives the movie along. The build up to the possible exchange gets to almost unbearable levels of anxiety as Donovan enters East Berlin. Here a fair outcome is not promised and there is a sense that both the CIA and the Soviet agents aren't thoroughly concerned with being by the book. Abel is an almost meek and gentle presence who when arrested by the US agents greets them in his underpants asking them to hand him his false teeth. Donovan is a straight shooting character who believes that any man has a right to defense under the US Constitution. At first defending Abel is simply as a publicity stunt which frightens his wife Mary (Amy Ryan). Dirty looks are cast his way and the people soon turn against him, but never once does he fold. From early on he realizes the value Abel could bring to the US and this trust pays off big time. 

The chemistry between Abel and Donovan gives Spielberg's thriller an almost comic edge. Frequently we see his attorney ask the man "Aren't you worries?" only for him to reply "Would it help?" Early on a big pawn enters into the game when US pilot Francis Gary Powers (Austin Stowell) and idealistic and love-sick student Frederic Pryor are both captured and imprisoned. Entering the other side of the Iron Curtain, Donovan has to meet some ruthless and temperamental persona's such as shady and volatile GDR agent Vogel (Sebastien Koch). Securing a swap for both men is seemingly impossible and even his own government seems more concerned with Powers than Pryor. In East Berlin, Donovan is desperately out of his depth and there are moments that shock us. One moment sees two people brutally gunned down while attempting to cross from East to West! 

Featuring a script by the Coen Brothers, at point there is a typically zany feel by these two in Bridge of Spies. Watching Donovan meeting Abel fake and delusional East German family is one moment that is throw back to the screwball humor that are able to bring. There are also sequences that are wonderfully underplayed but offer electricity nonetheless. The calm and docile opening chase sequence on the Brooklyn subway is eye-catching throughout. The real point of suspense late on is as the switch becomes nearer. Will this go smoothly? Or will one over zealous agent throw a spanner into the works? Donovan in this sequence steps up his game and emerges as a real hero, particularly in the docile and almost charming way he blackmails a youthful office assistant. In this moment, he has found perhaps the one man in Berlin will listen hard! The uncertainty of what Abel's people will do with him is one question that haunts the picture. 

Tom Hanks shows what a presence he can still be when tasked with holding things together. As James Donovan he is the voice and face of reason and even when the odds are stack he goes down swinging. Hanks plays to the characters strengths and is an engrossing presence who willfully steps into the crooked ground. Mark Rylance however, steals the film from underneath Hanks with a buttoned down turn as the quiet Abel. Whenever Rylance appears he is a likable and almost tranquil presence. Steadfast in his beliefs, Abel makes no apologies for his past or present actions, he simply just wants to paint. Cast as the BFG in Spielberg's new adaptation of Roald Dahl's beloved novel, Rylance gives a big sign of what could be next. In this he is very much the little friendly giant who has become the US' most valuable asset. 

Bridge of Spies is one film that will no doubt be an awards favourite this year, if only for the acting work on display. Spielberg and Coen brothers have proven a fine mix and hopefully this is one collaboration we will see again.