Hollywood, 1951. Eddie Mannix is the director of Capitol Pictures, one of the biggest studios in Los Angeles. His work also involves managing the extravagant behavior of stars and covering up the scandals linked to their escapades, so that the public will keep their eye on the brand. But he faces an unprecedented crisis when Baird Whitlock, star of the currently filming epic Hail, Caesar!, is kidnapped…

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The movies of the Coen brothers are like those of Woody Allen: each new film is an opportunity to either add to the best of their career or (most often) to test its limits. Hail, Caesar! belongs to the second category. With its 50’s nostalgia and crude satire of a dream industry that hides its vulgarity behind glitter, this absurd story of kidnapping and communists raises the dumbfounding question of how the Coen brothers managed to gather so many stars (George Clooney, Josh Brolin, Scarlett Johansson, Tilda Swinton, Channing Tatum, Ralph Fiennes, Jonah Hill), who should have offered a sure-fire comedy about Hollywood, and still manage to miss their target? Hail, César! has neither rhythm nor comic timing, stacks up intrigue without adding anything of value, and contains endless musical numbers as if to fill the gaps in its story. Like the insignificant and unpleasant starlets played by Johansson and Tatum in all-to brief scenes, Hail, César! shines on-screen, but fades quickly as soon as you look away.