Joel and Ethan Coen have given us more than their share of bone-chilling noir and ink-black comedy; they’ve made films that deal with morality and mortality and the divine absurdity of existence. With Hail, Caesar!, they’ve forgone the brow furrowing and decided to revel in their favorite topic of all—movies. In what amounts to little more than an extended string of cameos and hilarious set pieces, Hail, Caesar! is a firm, feature-length pinch on Hollywood’s swollen, self-absorbed posterior.
Ned Lannamann is a writer and editor in Portland, Oregon. He writes about film, music, TV, books, travel, tech, food, drink, outdoors, and other things. More by Ned Lannamann