Hail, Caesar! (2016)
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A studio fixer in 1950s Hollywood must navigate the complexities of the film industry while dealing with a kidnapped star and a looming political threat.
The story
In 1951 Hollywood, Eddie Mannix serves as the head of production at Capitol Pictures. As the studio's 'fixer,' his role involves covering up scandals for stars and managing the press. While weighing a lucrative job offer from the Lockheed Corporation, Mannix faces a crisis when the studio's lead actor, Baird Whitlock, is drugged and abducted during the production of a biblical epic. Mannix must navigate the fallout of the kidnapping, manage the demands of the studio, and deal with the complications of a pregnant starlet, all while the Cold War and the Red Scare loom over the film industry.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1951 Hollywood, Eddie Mannix is the head of production at Capitol Pictures. As the studio's 'fixer,' he manages scandals and navigates the pressures of the era. When the studio's star, Baird Whitlock, is abducted by a group of blacklisted Communist screenwriters known as 'The Future,' Mannix must secure a ransom and manage the fallout. Simultaneously, he deals with the career of DeeAnna Moran, a pregnant actress, and the casting of Hobie Doyle, a Western star struggling with a comedy of manners. After a series of events involving a ransom exchange and a failed attempt by 'The Future' to defect to the USSR, Baird is returned to the studio. Mannix eventually thwarts a gossip columnist's attempt to expose a scandal involving Baird and the director, choosing to stay at Capitol Pictures. The film concludes with Mannix content in his role, having successfully navigated the complexities of the studio system during a period of intense cultural transition.
- First release year
- 2016
- Runtime (minutes)
- 106
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Joel Coen; Ethan Coen
- Writers
- Joel Coen · writer; Ethan Coen · writer
- Cast and characters
- Josh Brolin · Eddie Mannix; George Clooney · Baird Whitlock; Alden Ehrenreich · Hobie Doyle; Ralph Fiennes · Laurence Laurentz; Jonah Hill · not specified; Scarlett Johansson · DeeAnna Moran; Frances McDormand · not specified; Tilda Swinton · not specified; Channing Tatum · not specified
- Genres
- comedy; mystery
- Themes
- Hollywood's Golden Age; The Red Scare; Film Production
- Tone and mood
- Droll; Sly; Off-center
- Premise and plot tags
- Period Piece; Studio System; Political Intrigue
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews from critics, with some praising its period detail and cast, while others found the humor occasionally flat.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 86% · scale: percentage · review count: 361; Metacritic · score: 72 · scale: 100 · review count: 50; IGN · score: 7.7 · scale: 10
- Awards and nominations
- National Board of Review · top ten films of 2016 · 2016 · win; Academy Awards · Production Design · nomination; British Academy Film Awards · Production Design · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was originally intended to take place in the 1920s.; The production used over 2,500 costumes.; The film was the first movie shot on film by cinematographer Roger Deakins since 2010.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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