Movie Review - Hail, Caesar!

Hail, Caesar! (2016)

Starring Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Alden Ehrenreich, Ralph Fiennes, Scarlett Johansson, Tilda Swinton, and Channing Tatum

Directed by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

I am not the most erudite guy, but I generally like to think of myself as somewhat intelligent.  When it comes to movies, while I'm sometimes up for a mindless comedic jaunt, I also appreciate more nuanced approaches to humor.  With that in mind, I tried to understand what the Coen Brothers were trying to do with Hail, Caesar!, but I must admit that I found myself lost in the scattered, disjointed, and utterly dull satire that lingered on the screen.  Considering the overwhelmingly positive reviews (85% positive on Rotten Tomatoes), I'm obviously in the minority here, however, this flick never once seems to come together as a cohesive whole.

Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) is the head of film production at Capitol Pictures in the early 1950s, but he spends most of his time working as a fixer, trying to keep his top-of-the-line stars from ending up in the gossip pages of well-known columnists like twin sisters Thora and Thessaly Thacker (Tilda Swinton).  It isn't easy and it gets progressively harder when one of the studio's biggest names -- Baird Whitlock (George Clooney) -- gets kidnapped from the set of the studio's big extravaganza Hail, Caeasar by a group of Communist screenwriters.

Were this the only plot of the Coens' Hail, Caesar, it may have been successful, but the duo pepper in a variety of other characters who serve little to no purpose in the film's overarching storyline.  Sure these characters help to create an atmosphere which is admittedly successfully portrayed, but their side stories are so superfluous and unengaged with the main plot line that I felt as if the movie would've worked better as a ten episode-long tv series rather than a self-contained 100-minute movie.  Scarlett Johansson is humorous as a brash, pregnant, unmarried Esther Williams-type synchronized swimming star.  Channing Tatum is fine as a Gene Kelly-esque singer/dancer.  Alden Ehrenreich steals the show as an "aw shucks" Roy Rogers-esque western star/singer.  Still, while these three actors have crafted believable characters, they're not all that integral to the overarching plot.  Unfortunately, that overarching plot is bland and boring and we find ourselves wanting to spend more time with Ehrenreich and Johansson despite the fact that they do little to forward the film.

The flick admittedly looks lush in its period setting and the acting is solid across the board (Ehrenreich is definitely the star of the bunch).  However, production and costume design can only get you so far.  In this so-called comedy, I can count on one hand the amount of times I laughed...and that's a bit of a problem.  The Coen Brothers are admittedly a directorial and writing team who don't always succeed for me, particularly in the comedy world.  Hail, Caesar! is one of those failures.

The RyMickey Rating:  D

Movie Review - Gambit

Gambit (2014)

Starring Colin Firth, Cameron Diaz, Alan Rickman, and Tom Courtenay

Directed by Michael Hoffman

***This film is currently streaming on Netflix***

The fact that Gambit, a film toplined by the quite famous Colin Firth and Cameron Diaz, failed to get a theatrical release of any kind despite the celebrities attached should've keyed me in to the quality of the flick.  In addition, not only were Diaz and Firth starring, but the film was written by Joel and Ethan Coen whom are sometimes worthy of your time.  I admittedly go back and forth on my feelings towards these popular director/screenwriters, but a lot of their flicks are at least solid.  So with this big name Hollywood talent, how did Gambit not even muster a limited release in theaters?

Admittedly, Gambit is not as bad as its lack of a theatrical release of any kind would implicate.  Unfortunately, it's not very good either.  As the film opens, we meet Harry Deane (Firth) who begrudgingly works for the very rich London businessman Lionel Shahbander (Alan Rickman).  Lionel loves art and one of his favorite pieces is a work by Monet called Haystacks, part of a series of paintings focusing on the titular objects.  It's been Lionel's mission in life to get another painting in the series and Deane sees this as opportunity to pull a fast one on his boss.

A piece from Monet's Haystacks series was stolen by the Germans in WWII and, according to legend, was then taken by an American soldier after a successful attack on a German bunker.  Deane comes up with the brilliant idea to find one of this solider's descendants and, with the help of his master art forger (Tom Courtenay), convince Shahbander that a fake Haystacks is in fact the real deal.  In order to milk Shahbander of his money, Deane finds Texas cowgirl PJ Puznowski (Diaz) as the true descendant, but her rough around the edges demeanor will prove quite the challenge for Deane to reel in.

Gambit attempts to ape those classic capers of the 1960s in tone and style, but it never quite gets there.  (Gambit is actually a remake of a 1966 film.)  All the characters are rather one-dimensional, attempts at comedy are lukewarmly successful at best, and the direction doesn't have the vigor needed in order to keep the lighthearted romp briskly moving in an engaging manner.  While I've certainly seen worse direct-to-video flicks, Gambit doesn't change the stigma attached to films that forego the theatrical route.

The RyMickey Rating:  C-

Movie Review - Inside Llewyn Davis

Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)

Starring Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, John Goodman, Garrett Hedlund, and Justin Timberlake

Directed by Ethan Coen and Joel Coen

My movie-going relationship with Joel and Ethan Coen is an interesting one.  I recognize their importance in the cinematic landscape and that they've crafted some real winners -- A Serious Man, The Hudsucker Proxy -- and also some disappointing flicks that I probably overrated simply because of the supposed pedigree carried by the duo --  O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Barton Fink.  Inside Llewyn Davis unfortunately falls into the latter category as it follows a brief period of time in the life of Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac), a folk singer living in New York City in the early 1960s as he struggles to get a record contract after his former duet partner committed suicide a few years prior.

I'm sure there's something "deep" that I'm missing, but I couldn't help but be bored while watching this.  Oscar Isaac gives a nice performance as the title character, but I never found the script allowed me to really connect with his struggles for some reason.  It's not that he was an unlikable guy or that his plight is unrelatable, but perhaps his lack of enthusiasm towards anything made his status as a lead character particularly humdrum.  Somewhat surprisingly, secondary characters like John Goodman, Carey Mulligan, and Justin Timberlake aren't really allowed to step up and inject a bit of life and humor into the mix either, so the whole thing plays rather one-note stuck between this not-too-dark yet not-too-funny middle ground that never takes off.

The film looks nice and, as I mentioned, the acting is good, but nothing about this film excited me or motivated me to say anything really positive in my review, which in and of itself seems like a fairly damning statement.

The RyMickey Rating:  C

Movie Review - True Grit

True Grit (2010)

Starring Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld, Matt Damon, and Josh Brolin

Directed by Ethan Coen and Joel Coen

Westerns are not my thing.  I know full well that True Grit is a good movie.  I'd even go so far as to add the qualifier "very" ahead of the "good" in the previous sentence.  However, that doesn't take away from the fact that I've yet to see a western that doesn't have me checking my watch every thirty minutes to see how much time is left.  There's something about the slow pace and the country accents that cannot grab my attention.  Still, despite my random spouts of momentary boredom while watching the Coen Brothers' latest film, I found myself oddly riveted.  I realize that the last sentence is kind of an oxymoron, but my reaction to True Grit is very confusing to even myself, so I can't imagine if this review will make any sense by the time I'm done typing it.

Needless to say, with my lack of affinity towards westerns, I had never seen the John Wayne original upon which this flick is based (although, I'd venture to guess that this 2010 flick may find its basis more in the original novel than in the original film).  So, with that said, I had no prior connection to the plot.  That's probably a good thing as there were a few surprises in the cleverly written screenplay  filled with the typical moments of dry (sometimes absurd) Coen humor.

As is often a staple of Coen Brothers flicks, the acting is some of the best you'll see in cinema. Whether it's the biggest celebrities or some actor you've never seen before (see last year's A Serious Man), the directing duo has a way of getting their actors to shine.  Had Jeff Bridges not won Best Actor at the Oscars last year for Crazy Heart, I'd have to imagine his nomination this year for True Grit would have made him a strong contender in the race rather than just an also-ran.  I, for one, thought he was pretty fantastic in this flick.  The grumbly, mumbly voice he brings to the part of bounty hunter Rooster Cogburn is one of those character choices that an actor makes that may have worried film execs initially, but proves to be a nifty defining characteristic that becomes instantly memorable.

Every bit as captivating is Hailee Steinfeld making her screen debut as the poised and wise-beyond-her-years Mattie Ross who seeks out the help of Cogburn in order to track down and bring to justice her father's killer.  Steinfeld is in nearly every single scene and is the impetus behind the entire film's story, so how she snagged a Supporting Actress nomination (rather than a Best Actress nom) is beyond me.  Nonetheless, she's a joy to watch and is perfectly suited for carrying out the Coens' dialog.

Rounding out the great cast (who will likely be mentioned as a whole in the Best Ensemble category when I get around to naming the coveted RyMickey Awards in mid-March) is Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, and Barry Pepper, all of whom make the most of their screen time by creating unique and lasting characters.  With everything this film has going for it -- great actors, a clever script, beautiful cinematography -- I have to wonder if there will ever be a western that doesn't have me looking at my watch.  I don't know if it's possible.  Still, I've got to say that despite the momentary minutes of boredom, I really enjoyed True Grit, and it's probably the only western I've seen that I can say I wouldn't mind watching again.

The RyMickey Rating:  B+

Movie Review - A Serious Man (2009)

Starring Michael Stuhlbarg, Richard Kind, Alan Arkin, Fred Melamed, Sari Lennick, and Aaron Wolff
Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen

It's as if we're plopped right down in the middle of the life of the Gopnik family as A Serious Man begins. Dad Larry (Michael Stuhlbarg), a physics professor, has just discovered that his wife wants a divorce. His brother, Uncle Arthur (Richard Kind), is working on some great math problem called the Mentaculus that will allow him to predict things in the future (sort of, I think...). And Larry's son, Danny, is getting ready for his bar mitzvah, but isn't exactly an angelic candidate as he enjoys the regular smoking of pot. All three men seem to find themselves in situations where they don't quite make the perfect decisions and their choices may cause some serious problems for them.

I've seen quite a few Coen Brothers flicks this year and this one tops the list. I was completely engrossed in the characters and the story and I didn't want it to end. When it did end (absolutely leaving me with a "what the hell?" moment), I wanted it to keep going, not because I wanted more explanations (although I did), but because I truly was enjoying the world the Coens created for these characters. It was a truly effortless script that never dragged and was filled with sly, wry, and dry humor. Yes, the film centers around religion, but it never does so in an overbearing, preachy way...a difficult task.

All the acting here was excellent (another candidate for a Best Ensemble award), but Michael Stuhlbarg, in particular, was pretty amazing. I guess it helps that I have no clue who the guy is, but there wasn't a second that I felt like I was watching an actor. I simply felt as if I were invited to watch a few days in the life of a Midwestern Jewish guy as he deals with a whole bunch of awful things being thrown at him.

Although on the surface it may not appear to be so, I think the Coen Brothers were really trying for something deep here and amplify things to the nth degree in order to make it humorous...the notion that one's actions are constantly being judged and that one may have to "pay" for said actions in the end -- whether that payment be from other people or from God. The film is certainly still sitting with me two days after watching it...thoughts are still rumbling around in my head concerning the flick (in a good way).

This movie certainly isn't for all tastes, but I found it quite refreshing and incredibly enjoyable.

The RyMickey Rating: A-

Movie Review - O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)

Starring George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, John Goodman, and Holly Hunter
Directed by Joel Coen (and an uncredited Ethan Coen)

If only films could be based solely on looks/cinematography, movies like O Brother, Where Art Thou? would take a place in my favorite movies of all time. Unfortunately, they don't, and this Coen Brothers effort falls a tad short for me.

Loosely based on Homer's The Odyssey (which I know I've read at some point in time), the flick follows three hickish guys who have just escaped from a chain gang and are on a mission to find a secret treasure (sounds corny, but it's not as bad as that one sentence makes it sound). My biggest issue with the film, though, is that the story is essentially a series of small set pieces with quirky side characters simply connected by these three escapees coming across them. Parts of the film are great -- the scene with Michael Badalucco's Baby Face Nelson, the Ku Klux Klan scene -- but they don't add up to a super whole for me.

George Clooney as the "ringleader" of the on-the-lam criminals always throws me for a loop. Try as I might, I often have a very difficult time differentiating him from his real-life movie star persona and the characters he plays in his films -- I feel like I'm watching Clooney rather than a character (same goes for Julia Roberts and John Travolta most of the time). It's not that Clooney disappoints here (or really disappoints in any film), but I still never get the feeling that I'm watching a character. Turturro and Blake Nelson are each fine, but didn't wow me. I was actually pretty impressed with Holly Hunter's minimal role (and was equally unimpressed by an over-the-top John Goodman).

Still, there are laughs to be had here. And, like I said above, the film really looks spectacular. The sepia-colored tones tempered with strong use of yellows provided a palette that was certainly visually appealing and one that I imagine would look great on the big screen. I just wish there was a little more cohesiveness to the story, rather than just a series of segments strung together.

The RyMickey Rating: C

Movie Review - The Big Lebowski (1998)

Starring Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and John Turturro
Directed by Joel Coen (and an uncredited Ethan Coen)

I'm not really gonna go into a summary here as nearly everyone I know has seen it already. There's a lot of depth here for a comedy, both in story and in dialogue. There's an intelligence in the verbiage used here that shines through despite the fact that we're dealing with some dumb (or at the very least lazy) folks...and it shockingly didn't feel out of place. Characters (even the most minor ones) are well defined and each really has their own unique voice and manner of speaking.

It's the characters and the actors that play them who make this movie the comedic gem that it is. Jeff Bridges is genius as The Dude, taking the slacker routine that has been seen so many times on film to a new level. And just when you think you're seeing something great in Bridges, along come John Goodman who has one of the best supporting roles I've seen onscreen in ages. His volatile bitterness and shifts from happiness to anger were ridiculously hilarious. Goodman's role is certainly the stand-out here, but Julianne Moore and Steve Buscemi also are pretty damn good in their smaller roles, making a sizable impression despite less screen time.

Obviously, these actors have the Coen brothers to thank. At this point, this is by far my favorite Coen brothers movie I've seen to date (although I know I've got much more in their oeuvre to go...and I'm not gonna hear the end of it until I see them all). The wit and intelligence they bring to the screen is refreshing. Bring on the rest of their stuff...

The RyMickey Rating: B+

Movie Review (Revisited) - The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)

So, I went and watched this movie last night at a movie theater. I actually grew to enjoy the movie a bit more (I already liked it having previously watched it just a few months prior). Below, you'll find my review that was posted back on May 10. Things that are bolded are my thoughts based on this second viewing.

***Available on DVD***

Starring Tim Robbins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Paul Newman

Written by Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, and Sam Raimi

Directed by Joel Coen (and Ethan Coen)

When the President of Hudsucker Industries kills himself, the board of directors, led by the conniving Sidney Mussburger (Newman), decides that in order to be able to purchase stock in the company at a low price, they need to hire a boob to run the company into the toilet for a little bit. Little did they know that their boob, a fresh out of college Norville Barnes (Robbins), has some ingenious plans dealing with toy production ("you know, for kids") that could prove very profitable for the company and may just foil Mussburger's scheme.

This is only the fifth Coen Brothers film that I had seen and up until this point I had only liked one (No Country for Old Men). I can now add The Hudsucker Proxy to the "like" column. A very Frank Capra-esque, 30s/40s style film, the movie has a genuine feel-good message peppered with quick pitter-patter dialogue between its leads. It certainly feels like the film could've come right out of another era. Nothing racy, raunchy, or explicit here...just the story of a man trying to make his way the best he can.

There were winning performances by Tim Robbins (who, despite the fact that I despise his politcal leanings with a passion, I genuinely like most of his work) and Paul Newman (then again, Paul Newman is always winning). My only problem with the film (and what keeps it out of the upper echelon of my grading rubric) is Jennifer Jason Leigh's performance as a fast-talking newspaper reporter who goes undercover at Hudsucker Industries to find out more about the newly appointed president. She was essentially copying Katharine Hepburn's mannerisms and dialect step-for-step, enunciation-for-enunciation. As the film is certainly a tribute to a bygone era, I'm sure the Coens wanted Leigh's role to be an homage to Hepburn (in some regard), but I just found her performance over-the-top and grating.

And this is where I found a huge difference in watching this movie in a theater and on DVD. On the smaller screen, Leigh's performance seemed way over-the-top, but on the big screen, her performance felt perfect. Yes, she was definitely giving homage to Kate Hepburn in the role, but it really worked this time for me.

Overall, though, this little film is certainly worth a rental if you haven't seen it.

The (Original) RyMickey Rating (5/10/09): B+
The (Revised) RyMickey Rating (7/28/09): A-

Edited to add: I'm a fan of music scores in films (my folks would always give me a hard time about this as I'd often mention the score when I'd talk about whether I liked or disliked a movie) and there's also a great one in this flick by Carter Burwell -- very fitting with the era they were trying to depict...

Movie Review - Barton Fink (1991)

***Available on DVD***
Starring John Turturro, John Goodman, Judy Davis, John Mahoney, and Tony Shalhoub
Directed by Joel Coen (and an uncredited Ethan Coen)
Written by Joel and Ethan Coen

Barton Fink (Turturro) is a New York playwright who moves out to Hollywood when presented with an opportunity to write for "the pictures." Unfortunately, writer's block comes into play and Barton is unable to write a thing. He befriends a salesman living next door to him (Goodman), he stares at peeling wallpaper, and he meets up with a washed-out alcoholic writer (Mahoney) and his lover (Davis) in hopes of gaining some inspiration.

Full of some hilarious bit roles taken right out of cheesy 1940s B-movies (the detectives who question Fink in the 2nd half of the film, the film studio chief), it's a shame that the main character is such a nobody. I can't even really put a finger on it, but I hated the way Turturro portrayed Fink. He certainly wasn't helped by the Coen Bros. who give him nothing to do in the film's first hour except act incredibly frustrated at his inability to write.

The film certainly comes alive in the second hour, and I felt like I was watching a far superior movie (despite the zaniness that is present)...a far different movie than the first hour. In the grand scheme of things, the two disparate acts make sense (sort of), but they really didn't connect for me cohesively. But, I guess that could be the point, really.

While I didn't love the movie, I'm absolutely interested in discussing this with the friend who recommended it to me (especially considering it's one of his favorite movies of all time). It's a movie rife with symbolism that a single viewing wouldn't allow me to catch everything (or even half of everything).

Perhaps in three months, I'll give this movie another chance...knowing where it's going might help me better appreciate the initial hour.

The RyMickey Rating: C+
(for now...although upon a 2nd viewing, I could see myself finding this film more and more intriguing)

Movie Review - The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)

***Available on DVD***

Starring Tim Robbins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Paul Newman

Written by Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, and Sam Raimi

Directed by Joel Coen (and Ethan Coen)

When the President of Hudsucker Industries kills himself, the board of directors, led by the conniving Sidney Mussburger (Newman), decides that in order to be able to purchase stock in the company at a low price, they need to hire a boob to run the company into the toilet for a little bit.  Little did they know that their boob, a fresh out of college Norville Barnes (Robbins), has some ingenious plans dealing with toy production ("you know, for kids") that could prove very profitable for the company and may just foil Mussburger's scheme.

This is only the fifth Coen Brothers film that I had seen and up until this point I had only liked one (No Country for Old Men).  I can now add The Hudsucker Proxy to the "like" column.  A very Frank Capra-esque, 30s/40s style film, the movie has a genuine feel-good message peppered with quick pitter-patter dialogue between its leads.   It certainly feels like the film could've come right out of another era.  Nothing racy, raunchy, or explicit here...just the story of a man trying to make his way the best he can.

There were winning performances by Tim Robbins (who, despite the fact that I despise his politcal leanings with a passion, I genuinely like most of his work) and Paul Newman (then again, Paul Newman is always winning).  My only problem with the film (and what keeps it out of the upper echelon of my grading rubric) is Jennifer Jason Leigh's performance as a fast-talking newspaper reporter who goes undercover at Hudsucker Industries to find out more about the newly appointed president.  She was essentially copying Katharine Hepburn's mannerisms and dialect step-for-step, enunciation-for-enunciation.  As the film is certainly a tribute to a bygone era, I'm sure the Coens wanted Leigh's role to be an homage to Hepburn (in some regard), but I just found her performance over-the-top and grating.

Overall, though, this little film is certainly worth a rental if you haven't seen it.

The RyMickey Rating: B+ 

Edited to add:  I'm a fan of music scores in films (my folks would always give me a hard time about this as I'd often mention the score when I'd talk about whether I liked or disliked a movie) and there's also a great one in this flick by Carter Burwell -- very fitting with the era they were trying to depict...

DVD Round-Up 4/1/09

A completely random assortment of DVDs here...

Role Models (2008)

I had heard that this Paul Rudd-Seann William Scott comedy was funny, but I hardly laughed at all when sitting in my living room. Maybe a movie theater experience was necessary. There were some funny lines, but they couldn't even create one funny scene. Rudd and Scott were okay, but lacked any type of charisma...dull as could be. As the head of the volunteer organization that Rudd and Scott were forced to join to complete some community service, Jane Lynch was completely wasted, forced to deliver the most ridiculous lines about drugs and phallic-shaped hot dogs. Kid actor Bobb'e J. Thompson (really Bobb'e...an apostrophe in your name?) is perhaps one of the most annoying people ever to grace the screen...the unfortunate thing was that in this poorly constructed movie, having a 12 year-old kid spout curse words was about the funniest thing it had going for it.

The RyMickey Rating: D

- - - - - - - -

Burn After Reading (2008)

There were some great actors here who all turned in some amusing work -- George Clooney, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Richard Jenkins, and a particularly funny Brad Pitt -- but the writing-directing Coen Brothers team didn't really know what to do with them. There's definitely a story here -- McDormand and Pitt come across an innocuous computer disk that they believe contains secret government information and try to blackmail its owner -- but in the end, I didn't really give a damn about it or any one of the characters. Not bad, but certainly nothing you need to rush out and rent.

The RyMickey Rating: C

- - - - - - - -

Lakeview Terrace (2008)

It's cliché to even say it nowadays, but Samuel L. Jackson will do anything for a paycheck. As a racist L.A. cop, Jackson is pissed that an interracial married couple moved in next door, and if you've seen the classic Snakes on a Plane, you know not to mess with motherf'n Samuel L. Jackson. This movie was awful. It bills itself as a suspense, but nothing happened in this movie for 115 minutes and then in the last 10 minutes it follows things way too "by the book" to be suspenseful in the least. Throw in a ridiculous storyline about impending California wildfires (which I'm sure is some metaphor for racism or something) and this was one of the worst movies I've seen in years.

The RyMickey Rating: F

- - - - - - - -

Reservation Road (2007)

Not to be confused with one of my favorite movies of last year (see review here), this Road movie is actually just as depressing, but ultimately not as good. The film starts out stunningly as the young son of Joaquin Phoenix (pre-rap artist crazy) and Jennifer Connelly is killed in a horrific hit-and-run car accident. Mark Ruffalo is the man who killed him, and he is wracked with guilt. When the police fail to find the killer, Phoenix attempts to take things into his own hands. The first 30 minutes of this one were utterly gripping. My eyes were literally welling up over the grief that was depicted onscreen. But then things got a little kooky...there were way too many coincidences and odd connections and too much time with Phoenix sitting in front of a computer. Despite my problems with the film which definitely falters in the final 45 minutes, the acting and story in the first half is too good to miss.

The RyMickey Rating: B