Josh Brolin deals with the daily routines and demands of running a Hollywood studio, in “Hail Caesar”. In 1950s Hollywood, Eddie Mannix (Brolin) is Capital Pictures head of physical production and, most importantly, the studio fixer. His job is to maintain the clean reputation of the company and its stars, keeping them free from controversy. Mannix is advised that studio star Baird Whitlock (George Clooney) has disappeared after not showning up for work on the current production of “Hail Caesar, a Tale of Christ’s Life.” He initially believes Whitlock has been drinking, but receives a call from a group of communists who claim to have kidnapped him and want a ransom. As Mannix gathers the cash, he simultaneously deals with an unhappy director who is working on another project, while innocent young starlet DeeAnna Moran (Scarlett Johansson) is pregnant and unmarried. Mannix must handle all of this while keeping the gossip columnists off the scent. When Mannix is approached by an aviation company with an offer of a less-hectic, and rather lucrative, job, he must ultimately determine his true skills and passions. “Hail Caesar” is rated PG-13 and is written and directed by The Coen Brothers.

“Hail Caesar” showcases the kind of quirky humor that Joel and Ethan Coen have made careers of. Inside of this period piece full of bizarre social commentary, we are offered a reflection of lifestyles and communist panic that filled the minds of Studio executives and their pictures. The movie has lots of moments, but disappointingly lacks the kind of impact emotionally that some of their better films like “Fargo”, “No Country For Old Men” and “The Big Lebowski” entailed.

What surprised me most about the movie was the disjointed and often times frail plot that often dragged the film and its premise to unreasonable extensions. For most of the film, we follow Mannix while being held at the mercy of a kidnapper’s ransom, while dealing with the everyday obsessions of a constant workaholic. If there is anything of merit, it’s in the film’s social commentary that offers many honest views in the movie world. 2016 is definitely the right time for a picture like this one because it displays a Hollywood that was very close minded, and full of cover-ups before the paparazzi made their presence felt in the world. That would normally be enough, especially in a Coen Brothers picture. These are two Hollywood heavyweights who write story first before everything else. Yet their main premise is given a backseat on more than one occasion to musical numbers and other scenes going on in certain buildings of the studio. Because of this, the film sometimes feels like an anthology film similar to “The Twilight Zone” because it pauses the movie and its advancement in favor of A-List celebrities doing silly and against-the-grain kind of actions.

The cast in its entirety is decent, but I wish there was more to do for many big names who didn’t get more than a scene or two. Most notably, Jonah Hill, Scarlett Johansson, and Ray Fiennes are wasted for a scene or two of comedic pandering that never reflected anything but a smile in me. Channing Tatum gets a little more screen time as a musical leading man with a hidden secret of his own, but it (like the good parts) comes in small doses that are easily forgotten because of the initial on-screen investment to get there. I did greatly enjoy Josh Brolin as the no-nonsense Mannix. His character feels the most maintained despite his lack of time for his own family. George Clooney is also nutty in his delivery. For most of his scenes, Clooney’s Whitlock is played off as kind of a screwball, so it’s quite the gutsy decision to cast one of the world’s leading men in this role, and Clooney never disappoints. His supporting role steals the show without ever feeling like he is imposing his presence. He truly is one of those actors that commands the attention of the audience, and his delivery made the most for some scenes that were drowning in fluttering dialogue.

One thing that remains undeterred is Director of Photography genius Roger Deakins award winning touches to color schemes within the film. The film’s cinematography is very clean in contrast to the colorful set pieces and big budget productions that showcase very eye-appealing backgrounds. Deakins blasts us back sixty years for a look and color tone that really makes the big time Hollywood atmosphere pop in many elegant visual dreams.

“Hail Caesar” halts itself before it ever really takes off. The handicaps of a story filled with a lack of substantial layers left a taste in my mouth of failure from one of Hollywood’s most promising teams. The movie lacks the kind of momentum from a disappointing third act that brought every story arc together. It just kind of stalls out because it’s screenplay never matches the kind of presence physically from its big name cast, or it’s visually stunning colorful pallate.

5/10