Review Category: Movie

Somewhere in the middle of the molten mess which was Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, released to almost universal derision a couple of months ago, was the potentially-intriguing notion of superhero accountability; who’s to blame when the death toll rises and the buildings start to fall and who’s powerful enough to reign in this new breed of heroes and impose a form of governance upon people with extraordinary, terrifying abilities? BvS fudged the question horribly, of course, disintegrating into mindless fisticuffs between two rather boring men in capes who eventually (and metaphorically) decided to kiss and make up and become best friends forever when they discovered their mothers had the same name. Trust the mighty Marvel Cinematic Universe to run with broadly the same idea in Captain America: Civil War, the first title in a brave and bold third phase of feature films and trust Marvel to, yet again, show their shabby rivals a clean pair of heels. By any standards, Civil War is an extraordinary film; richly-populated, densely-plotted and packed with nods and references to almost all those MCU films which have gone before, topped off with some barnstorming cameos, the odd surprise (we won’t spoil it for you) and, when you least expect it, some moments of genuine pathos and emotional heft. This is a film which is, in many ways, the pay-off to a run of films which began with Iron Man in 2008 and fans will be rewarded with a movie which revels in a fictional universe intricately and carefully nurtured ever since and it does it because it’s earned it; the film knows that its audience will appreciate its kisses to the past because, by and large, the audience has been with these movies each and every step of the way.

It’d be easy to dismiss Civil War as Avengers 2.5, but this is absolutely a Captain America movie through and through. Granted, it’s a film about The Avengers and most of the team’s familiar faces are present and correct, but Steve Rogers/Captain America drives the film’s narrative and powers its central conceit and his relationship with Tony Stark is absolutely central to the film’s beating heart. As the film begins we’re a year on from Age of Ultron and the Avengers – Cap, Falcon, Wanda (Scarlet Witch) and Natasha (Black Widow) – are in Nigeria knocking lumps out of a bunch of terrorists determined to get their hands on a deadly biological weapon. But during the battle, there’s more death and destruction and the world’s governments have finally had enough of superheroes wantonly hurtling around the world causing chaos and carnage wherever they go. In the wake of the events of Age of Ultron, they’ve come up with the Sokovia Accords, an impressively chunky document which seeks to impose massive restrictions on the Avengers’ activities, removing their independence and allowing them to be deployed strictly on the say-so of the Accord’s governing body. Not unnaturally this causes an immediate and massive schism within the ranks of the Avengers. Tony Stark, jaded and battle-weary, supports the new initiative but Steve is adamant that the group should be allowed to go about its business unfettered and unrestricted. As some of the Avengers prepare to sign the Accord in Vienna and Steve has to deal with another very personal loss, a new atrocity results in further loss of life and it appears that The Winter Soldier, Cap’s old wartime sparring partner Bucky Barnes, now a violent, reprogrammed killing machine, is responsible. Battle lines are inevitably drawn as Steve searches for Bucky before the others – including vengeful catsuit-clad newcomer Black Panther, the alter ego of T’Challa, leader of tiny South African nation Wakanda – can bring him to justice. Meanwhile, the mysterious and manipulative Zemo (Bruhl) is working to his own bitter agenda unbeknownst to the shattered Avengers. The World’s Greatest Heroes are torn in half and as they prepare for battle, new recruits are drafted in to swell their numbers; the Falcon calls upon his former one-off sparring partner Ant-Man and Tony Stark takes a trip to New York to have a quiet word with a certain web-spinning teenager who’s been making quite a name for himself in the crime-fighting stakes…

Make no mistake, this is a dense, tightly-packed film and yet, unlike BvS (which is of a similar length) the pace never drags, the story never sags and the action, when it comes, is so fantastically, wonderfully exhilarating. The airfield clash between the two Avenger factions and their temporary new recruits is perhaps the purest, most glorious and prolonged comic strip superhero sequence yet committed to film and it’s unremittingly wonderful. We know what to expect as Cap, Iron Man, Black Widow, The Vision and the rest fly into action but the lithe and imposing Black Panther, Rudd’s Ant-Man and, especially, Tom Holland as Spider-Man, bring a thrilling new dimension to the dynamic. Holland, a more boyish Peter Parker/Spider-Man than we’ve seen before, is virtually pitch-perfect, capturing the spirit and essence of the character in one short dialogue sequence with Tony Stark and, in battle, trading quips and revelling in the joy of being superhuman in ways that his cinematic predecessors never could. It’s the most astonishing and pulsating sequence in a movie which has the guts and the guile to deliver a more intimate and heart-stopping finale as Captain America and Iron Man, faced now with the truth about a tragedy from his own past, duke it out in one last slugfest in which, for a while, it looks as if there can really only be one victor.

Captain America: Civil War¸in the end, never puts a foot wrong. A smart, witty script gives everyone in the huge cast something to do – no-one feels shoehorned in, no-one feels short-changed – and the film works because of its tight, clever, intricate storyline and, more importantly, because Marvel has taken the time to build and develop these characters and make them seem, underneath their armour and their elaborate costumes, like real people with real fears and foibles and emotions. Hardcore comic fans may quibble at liberties taken with the original Civil War comic storyline but this is a story designed for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, for the fans who have flocked to these characters across the last decade. It’s a magnificent action film, it’s a wonderful character piece, it’s big, brash, bursting with confidence and brio; it’s Marvel firing on all cylinders just when, by rights, we might be expecting the law of diminishing returns to set in. Not a bit of it. Not only is this the best Marvel movie yet, it’s also quite possibly the best superhero movie ever made. With the rather brilliant Russo Brothers already on board to direct the upcoming Avengers: Infinity Wars two-parter, we’re already counting the days….

CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR / CERT:12A / DIRECTORS: ANTHONY AND JOE RUSSO / SCREENPLAY: CHRISTOPHER MARKUS, STEPHEN MCFEELY / STARRING: CHRIS EVANS, ROBERT DOWNEY JNR, SCARLETT JOHANSSON, SEBASTIAN STAN, ANTHONY MACKIE, DON CHEADLE, CHADWICK BOSEMAN, JEREMY RENNER, PAUL BETTANY, TOM HOLLAND, PAUL RUDD, DANIEL BRUHL / RELEASE DATE: APRIL 29TH 

Expected Rating: 9 out of 10
Actual Rating: 
 

A long time ago, the cinematic realm was ruled by mighty works, until the evil studios stepped in and brought with them armies of reboots, remakes and sequels… Seriously though, while we are all up for a imaginatively thought out reboot (Mad Max Fury Road) or well crafted sequel (Star Wars: The Force Awakens), there are a lot of films today that simply do not need to be. To that point, you could argue that few people seemed to be clamoring for a follow up to 2012’s Snow White and the Huntsman but with fairytale/fantasy live action makeovers all the rage at the moment (Maleficent, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland), we have just that. So as The Huntsman: Winter’s War (Snow White’s naffed off this time around) arrives at the gates of cinemas, has this follow-up nobody really asked for exceeded expectations?

This sequel first goes back before the events of the last film and tells the story of the wicked Queen Ravena (Charlize Theron) and more importantly her sister Freya (Emily Blunt) whose ice conjuring powers are awoken after a betrayal by her lover costs her the life of her child. This leaves Freya cold to the idea of love and vengeful in ruling her own kingdom. In the process she steals children and has them trained up as huntsman loyal to her, one of these very huntsmen is Eric (Chris Hemsworth) and his secret lover Sara (Jessica Chastain). But when the ice queen discovers their budding romance, she sees fit to shatter their love and kill them (she’s no Elsa that’s for damn sure). However, years later, the story then picks up after the events of the last film, as a still alive (as we all knew) Eric is called upon by Snow White’s forces to lead a defense against the ice queen Freya, who is out to get hold of the sinister magic mirror used by her sister, that will grant her unstoppable power.

From Frozen to Brave to The Golden Compass to Game of Thrones, the influence of many fantasy and family works are felt in the screenplay to this cluttered sequel, that is in frantic search for validating its own existence. It must be said this sequel does actually improve upon its drab predecessor and the lack of Kristen Stewart’s disinterested Snow White (who looked like she was doing a math’s quiz as opposed to being in an adventure last time) is a blessing. This sequel is punchier, funnier and initially not a bad (if wholly by the books yarn). Sadly, these elements of comic crunch (Rob Brydon’s dwarf Gryff and Sheridan Smith’s dwarfess Mrs. Bromwyn have a very funny- and a little sweary- first meeting) do seem to fizzle out as the movie becomes a rehash of the originals style centred and empty action sequences.

The performances do salvage some quality, as Hemsworth is by far a more interesting protagonist than Stewart was and, as Huntsman Eric, is charming and funny. He strikes a decent chemistry with Chastain, who is well placed as an action heroine, albeit her wonky Scottish accent distracts throughout. Emily Blunt harnesses chilly energy as the ruthless Freya and while massively underused (she is in the film at the beginning and end basically) Charlize Theron once more is a baddie befitting a better movie. Sheridan Smith, Rob Brydon, Nick Frost and Alexandra Roach offer fine comic support as the four dwarf companions too. Unfortunately the film is once again let down by its downhill momentum, that scuppers the efforts of the cast the longer it goes on.

There is, once again, some outstanding imagery but once the mid-point is passed, the film basically runs out of steam, with its story becoming predictable and a near rework of parts of the first film. And the concluding twist is clearly visible from the early few moments of the movie, with the corresponding action sequence being all style no substance and the whole movie descending into a flashy but hollow spectacle, with a gushy story about love being unbreakable.

This film is not all bad but it is a follow-up that really did not need to be made and wastes the efforts of a game cast on a screenplay that feels like an amalgamation of other better movies and TV shows. There are ideas here but the visuals eventually take credence over the story, as the film descends into a big budget Revlon advert. The real hero of the story becomes Colleen Atwood, whose costumes are brilliant, but the characters they are covering, are left stranded by a story that feels desperately searching for a point and when it cannot really find one, it just makes do with a CGI showcase and a Liam Neeson (if it isn’t him, it sounds a bloody lot like it is) voice telling us about love. Sometimes a visual showcase can still be a treat and this is better than the last film but it still feels wholly unnecessary.

THE HUNTSMAN: WINTER’S WAR / CERT: 12A / DIRECTOR: CEDRIC NICOLAS-TROYAN / SCREENPLAY: CRAIG MAZIN, EVAN SPILIOTOPOULOS / STARRING: CHRIS HEMSWORTH, CHARLIZE THERON, JESSICA CHASTAIN, EMILY BLUNT, SAM CLAFLIN, NICK FROST, ROB BRYDON / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Yes, this remake of the 1967 animated classic does feature the song ‘The Bare Necessities’ but that doesn’t mean that it’s a slavish remake of the original, much as Disney’s last live-action transfer, Cinderella was. Neither is it a revisionist reimagining like Maleficent. Instead, it’s clear from the 1960’s style Disney castle logo at the start, to the closing of the 3D tome at its end, that The Jungle Book is one of those rare beasts; a loving update to an enduring tale that actually works.

The story is mostly unchanged from the original (film, not book) with a few twists thrown in. Man-cub Mowgli (Sethi) is raised by wolves under the watchful eye of panther Bagheera (Kingsley) and lives a happy existence until the re-emergence of the tiger Shere Khan (Elba) forces him to seek safety in the nearby human village. Nothing, of course, is ever so simple and along his journey Mowgli will cross paths with Kaa the Snake (Johansson), Baloo the bear (Murray), and King Louie the orangutan, amongst others.

Favreau starts out a little shaky, literally, as the 3D in the first scene of Mowgli running though the jungle can be quite disorienting, but once the action calms down and the audience has time to get used to the slightly shiny CGI animals that surround the real-life Sethi, he manages to deliver a funny, touching, and exhilarating adventure.

Some of those CGI animals fare better than others. Kingsley’s Bagheera is a perfect match for his voice, protective yet stern, as is Elba’s Shere Khan at the other end of the scale, every word dripping with menace. Bill Murray’s personality shines through in his rendition, even if his CGI bear doesn’t quite convey the same amount of character as the older animated version.

Sethi does well in amongst all this CGI, avoiding becoming annoying and handling the darker, more emotional scenes well.

Johansson’s Kaa is, for some reason, freakin’ huge, but her role is little more than a cameo. Walken’s King Louie is similarly massive, dwarfing all other characters, but his part, and personality, are more than match his stature. Walken also gets to revisit Louie’s famous song and even though not all the original music makes it, the filmmakers find the time to squeeze some of them into the final credits.

A lot of the humour comes from smaller animals around the periphery including the late Garry Shandling’s Rain Man-esque Porcupine, a bevy of cute wolf cubs, and a honey-basted pig (not like that!) that help keep proceedings light.

Like Kaa and Louie, elements of the plot, including the climax and the relationships between some of the characters, have also been ‘amped-up’, but these changes keep the story fresh for those with fond memories of the original and will surely help a new generation to treasure these characters as well.

THE JUNGLE BOOK / CERT: PG / DIRECTOR: JON FAVREAU / SCREENPLAY: JUSTIN MARKS / STARRING: NEEL SETHI, BEN KINGSLEY, IDRIS ELBA, LUPITA NYONG’O, BILL MURRAY, GIANCARLO ESPOSITO, CHRISTOPHER WALKEN, SCARLETT JOHANSSON / RELEASE DATE: APRIL 15TH

Expected Rating: 4 out of 10
Actual Rating: 
 

‘You’re like a rabbit in the headlights’; Sharlto Copley says staring directly into the camera (at YOU!) in Hardcore Henry. If you ever got motion sickness from all the shaky-cam action in found footage horror movies, you’ll probably want to give this film as wide a berth as humanly possible. There may not be an annoying character running and screaming and waving a camera around like their life depends on it, but Hardcore Henry is all shot from the first-person perspective of its half-human, half-machine lead character.

The titular Henry awakes in a flying laboratory after losing two limbs and most of his face in some unseen grisly accident. His scientist wife, Estelle (Bennett), is putting him back together with new robotic parts when suddenly telekinetic villain Akan (Kozlovsky) bursts in, kidnaps Henry’s beloved and sends his henchman to hunt and kill poor Henry. But they’ve underestimated this half-cyborg super-soldier and his determination to get his wife back, even if he’s running low on power and hasn’t got any memories of his former life.

Just because films based on video games never work, it doesn’t mean that cinema can’t have its very own version of a first-person shoot-‘em-up. Hardcore Henry is so much like playing a video game, that it feels strange not to have a controller in your hand. Copley pops up throughout the film as Jimmy to tell Henry/you what the next mission/level is that needs to be completed. You might find yourself tilting your head, straining to see what Henry sees from a clearer angle, or recoiling from the screen as his enemies leap, punch, kick, and shoot at him. There’s even time for a sniper’s eye view as you stand on a balcony picking off enemies below you.

Being this restricted to one character’s point of view comes with its ups and downs (literally). Unsurprisingly, it’s incredibly immersive, particularly in the middle of Henry’s seemingly endless fight scenes, and when he runs, jumps, and drops from buildings to show off his parkour skills. But there are occasions where the action is too chaotic and a different perspective on events would be more than welcome. But where would the fun be in that? Especially when you get to see all the brutal stabbings, shootings, and decapitations right up close and personal from Henry’s point of view.

Like a video game, the action is relentless. It’s like Jason Statham’s Crank on speed… if that’s possible. If you’ve seen director Ilya Naishuller’s music video for Biting Elbows’ Bad Motherfucker, then you’ll know if you’re going to get a kick out of Hardcore Henry or not. Impressively, Naishuller manages to sustain this balls-out pace and level of technical ingenuity for over an hour and a half with a hero that never speaks, a whole load of repetition in terms of structure, and just that one restrictive viewpoint.

While it barely pauses from its non-stop violence, a slight detour into a brothel will bring back memories of The Prodigy’s first-person music video for Smack My Bitch Up as Hardcore Henry takes the idea of the male gaze to all new extremes. Naishuller has a tendency to overuse music, to the point where the film starts to feel like a series of action-packed music promos, and you wonder instead if Henry is just constantly wearing headphones blasting non-stop techno in your battered earholes. The film also doesn’t score any points for its constant disdain for female characters either, which could easily be remedied by a future sequel: Hardcore Henrietta anyone?

Despite Sharlto Copley giving his all as Henry’s pal Jimmy (who like a video game character has multiple lives), and even delivering a wickedly funny musical number, the stars are the stunt performers. Naishuller throws everything at the screen (literally) as he puts his GoPro-wearing stunt team through the wringer. It might give some a hard-core headache, but Hardcore Henry is an ultra-violent blast of fresh air; a breathless first-person superhero movie with a body count bigger than director Naishuller’s ambition.

HARDCORE HENRY / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: ILYA NAISHULLER / STARRING: SHARLTO COPLEY, DANILA KOZLOVSKY, HALEY BENNETT, TIM ROTH / RELEASE DATE: APRIL 8TH

Expected Rating: 9 out of 10
Actual Rating:
 

An incredible documentary on former NASA astronaut and Navy captain Eugene ‘Gene’ Cernan, who was the last man to set foot on the moon with Apollo 17. Though future Apollo missions were planned up to 22, they never materialised due to budgets cuts. 

A husband, father, and the last of 12 Apollo astronauts to get their space boots covered in moon dust, Cernan pulls no punches in this film.

40 years on, it’s time for Cernan to tell his story. You hear of his sadness of being away from his daughter for long periods of time, but knowing she was always on his mind by even etching her initials on the moon soil before blasting off in the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM) and rendezvousing with the Command Model (CM) in orbit as well as his elation from millions of people on Earth who revered him and these daring men as trailblazers. True heroes who were willing to risk their lives for the sake of exploration of the unknown. Space Cowboys who truly had the Right Stuff. 

His heartbreak and stress when the original two astronauts; Elliot See and Charles Bassett of the Gemini 9 spacecraft were killed in a T-38 crash where he and Thomas P. Stafford were chosen to replace them and when neighbor and friend, Roger Chaffee, Gus Grissom and Ed White lost their lives in the Apollo 1 tragedy. 

Fast paced and well edited, Stewart combines NASA archival and space footage, rare home movies and an excellent swinging ‘60s soundtrack make this film an instant classic not to be missed. 

A special moment in this inspiring, emotional documentary is when Mr. Cernan, now in his eighties living on his Texas ranch where ‘retirement’ is not in his vocabulary, looks into the camera and says; “I walked on the moon. What can’t you do?” 

A must see. 

THE LAST MAN ON THE MOON / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: MARK CRAIG / STARRING: EUGENE CERNAN, ALAN BEAN, CHARLES DUKE, RICHARD GORDON, GENE KRANZ / RELEASE DATE: APRIL 8TH

Expected Rating: 8 out of 10 
Actual Rating:
 

In recent years there has been a glut of horror remakes. Last House On The Left, Carrie and Halloween are just some examples of a trend that rarely delivers a film comparable with the original. And yet here we are with Martyrs, a film surely impossible to remake.

Viewing Pascal Laugier’s 2008 original is an experience rarely equalled in cinema. So visceral are many of the scenes, so unpredictably intense is the plot and so bold and boundary pushing is the entire concept, that it is a film impossible to forget. Whether you love or loathe Martyrs, and most may fall somewhere in between, it is a cinematic milestone; a perfect storm of uncensored filmmaking and unrestricted creativity that defines its own sub-genre. It is also a film that to this day grows in reputation through word of mouth; its name spoken in whispered reverence.

The problem with remaking it is that the original Martyrs is not a film for mass consumption; not a film for the Friday night casual horror fan looking for thrills. As such Blumhouse Productions have tasked Kevin and Michael Goetz (directors of the slow burning thriller Scenic Route) with “re-imagining” Martyrs for a new audience. And they found a solution to that problem; completely re-write the third act and tone down much of the horror. Problem solved then? Well, not exactly.

The basic premise does remain the same. Lucy (Bellisario) escapes her unknown captors as a child and several years later, with the help of only friend Anna (Noble), she tracks them down and exacts revenge. As the pair begin to dispose of the bodies they discover the truth behind Lucy’s past and the reason for her ongoing nightmares.

To really get into Martyrs would be to reveal too much about either version. In truth they are very different films and should therefore be judged on their own merits. In dramatically altering the final act and much of what leads to it, screenwriter Mark L. Smith along with the directors have removed what made the original special. Instead of an intelligent experience in intense cinema, Blumhouse now has one that, well, fits into the standard Blumhouse catalogue. Martyrs 2016 is an entertaining, fun and at times brutal horror film that will probably delight the casual horror fan. It is a decent, if diluted version of a film that many will be unaware of and is, for want of a better word, fine. One thing is certain though; this version of Martyrs will not haunt your dreams, it won’t etch itself painfully on your memory, and it won’t make you question what you think you know about modern horror filmmaking. Martyrs 2008 is a masterpiece in genre-defining filmmaking. Martyrs 2016 is just another horror film. Watch only one version but choose carefully; one will remain with you for some time, the other will be forgotten by the morning. You have been warned.

MARTYRS / CERT: 18 / DIRECTORS: KEVIN GOETZ, MICHAEL GOETZ / SCREENPLAY: MARK L. SMITH / STARRING: BAILEY NOBLE, TROIAN BELLISARIO, KATE BURTON / RELEASE DATE: 1ST APRIL

Expected Rating: 2 out of 10

Actual Rating: 

Irving Berlin’s “There’s no business like show business” came to mind a lot during Hail, Caesar! Because there is sure as hell “no people like show people”. Let us be honest here, the Coen Brothers’ latest could be about a turkey doing mathematics and it would still be considered a must-see, simply because of the track record of this writing/directorial duo. Over the course of their career, the Coens have enthralled, amused and bewildered and have seemingly enjoyed doing so. And after crimes in remote places, a writer’s internal struggle, a John Wayne remake and a dude’s losing battle to leave his rug unsoiled, the Coen Brother’s latest work tackles the Hollywood system. Crammed with more A-Listers than an Oscars after-party and more pizzazz than a magazine shoot, Hail, Caesar! Seems worthy of that exclamation mark in its title but is it? Well, kind of…

Set at the perceived height of the Hollywood studio system, in the face of a challenging phase ahead for the industry. Capitol Pictures’ “Fixer” Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) works hard to ensure that the dirty laundry of the stars remains unaired. His day is business as usual, with a pregnancy problem, leading man difficulties and the call of an “easier” career but something unexpected happens, as megastar Baird Whitlock (George Clooney)- the lead in a new historical religious epic called Hail, Caesar!– is abducted and held to ransom. Can Eddie fix all this, amidst the mounting pressure and flaring gaze of the press? Reviewing Hail, Caesar! Is a task in itself because what we have here is a film that is unfunny but smart, unevenly toned but brilliantly acted and one that will appeal to as many as it will annoy. 

The Coens have proved, with every passing film, that win or lose they always mange to provoke a response and with their latest work, they have done it again. Hail, Caesar! Is a film that was heavily promoted as a screwball satire but despite the odd outrageous ego or jab at this flamboyant era, this is a practically laugh-free film and it is almost deliberately the case. The trailers depicted the brothers’ trademark balanced blend of genres but in this instance, their lavish feature bears more to a structured, character-led, Drama than a pure satire. This is at once disappointing and admirable and a film that will pick out its audiences from the masses and reward them, while it will frustrate just as many others…and has. This is not a terrible film, far from it, but it is an unexpected result and tells more a serious story of the mounting pressure of cold war paranoia on American culture, with a wonderfully understated comment on the cynical view of the movies, in the face of television and real world advances.

The fact that it is pretty much humourless at times and ironically comes with the same baggage as the overstuffed and aggrandized movies it depicts, is a bit of a disappointment it must be said. The Coens usually to keep their tone in check but their screenplay is crammed with ideas and meaning but forgets to keep a steady pace, with some randomly assembled and drawn out sequences within. This being said the production design is spot on, with some fantastically staged sequences evoking the heyday of musicals and biblical/historical event pictures. The hysteria of Hollywood gossip is well conjured and the directing, while not up to their best efforts, does render some brilliant moments. The menagerie of stars results in an overcrowded film of many narratives (many that don’t go anywhere) but it is a film that, while messy, maintains the eye…much like its central movie-in-a-movie.

Brolin is excellent as real-life figure Mannix, who is an assertive presence and anchors the film. Clooney is also fun as the bewildered silver screen star Whitlock, while Ralph Fiennes is very underused but scene stealing as revered auteur Laurence Laurentz who, surrounded by his cast of luvvies, is a joy to watch, as his character voices his dismay at casting choices and/or on-set mishaps. And to that point, the film’s real high point is Alden Ehrenreich’s cowboy picture star Hobie Doyle, with his strong accent and playful mood, he is perhaps the film’s wandrin’ star! In fact all around, the performances of a high caliber with Channing Tatum unleashing his inner Gene Kelly and Scarlett Johansson mastering her own answer to Ester Williams. Sadly the likes of Frances McDormand as editor C.C. Calhoun and Tilda Swinton as both rival gossip mag columnist twin sisters Thora and Thessaly, feel shortchanged in on and off roles, as does Jonah Hill, who is in the film all of a minute.

Yet, for its many flaws and annoying shortcomings, you get the feeling that this was all an intentionally assembled play on the frantic nature of the system, at a very unsettled time. Or just to play the audience. Unfortunately for all the brains on display, the performances and the production, cannot rescue the screenplay from a problematic tone, dragging moments and a lack of comic crackle. Still, for the right audience, this film will be a uniquely wrapped joy and either an ode to or parody of (depending on your view) this bygone era of movies and their making in post-war Hollywood. Hail, Caesar! Is not the Coens’ best or worst work, it is a purposely lavish look at the 50s Hollywood system and the paranoia of the time, both of which admittedly have been done before. Not funny at all but then, not really meant to be (the trailers are highly misleading), it is a fascinatingly flawed picture, which is enjoyable at times but fuzzy. A film some will love and some will hate, while others will sit somewhere in the middle of disappointment and admiration. Hail, Caesar? Maybe more of a respectful nod perhaps?

HAIL, CAESAR! / CERT: 12A / DIRECTORS & SCREENPLAY: JOEL & ETHAN COHEN / STARRING: GEORGE CLOONEY, JOSH BROLIN, ALDEN EHRENREICH, SCARLETT JOHANSSON, RALPH FIENNES, CHANNING TATUM, FRANCES MCDORMAND, TILDA SWINTON / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW