Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) is a manager of Capitol Pictures but also acts as a 'fixer' to manage their actors' good image to the press. Dealing with a lot of different problems while their company is working on a couple of films, be that the disappearance of Baird Whitlock (George Clooney) from the set of the movie Hail, Caesar, the transition of a cowboy to a dramatic actor or the pregnancy of a talent out of wedlock, Eddie also had to deal with his won personal issues with family and career.
This film is funny in a lot of different ways. The way it exaggerates stereotypical Hollywood characters' behaviors and the way it interprets what was is moral during that time. But what really awed me is the tribute it gave to famous actors of the time like Kirk Douglas, Esther Williams, Kirby Grant and Gene Kelly particularly the water ballet of DeeAnna Moran (Scarlet Johansson) and the full production number of Burt Gurney (Channing Tatum). Josh's Eddie is focused and his character tries to hold the story together. Other formidable actors join in on the fun and I particularly like the character of Ralph Feines (Laurence Laurentz) as the avant-garde director trying to work with an actor who can't speak well, Hoby Doyle (Alden Ehrenreich).
While there may be a lot of things that this movie wants to say, and there are a couple of subplots emerging from just about anywhere to add to either the entertainment factor or confusion, it seems that identifying of the message from this film is left to the audience to decide. It loosely focuses on its message and the story and looked more into characters and scenes. Overall, I enjoyed watching this film and I am happy that I sought this out even though the screening schedule is limited.
