"Hail, Caesar!": A Movie About Movies

by CHRISTOPHER MORAN

Hail, Caesar! is a rare kind of picture where you leave satisfied with the story but not satisfied with the universe. You leave happy with the resolution of the main conflict, but wishing you could stay there in the studio with Eddie Mannix and the gang to discover new problems. I really wanted to stay in the movie longer. The world invented in Hail, Caesar! is entertaining with a fantastic set of characters, with actors and actresses alike acting their hearts out.

Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) is a Hollywood fixer. He is the true heart of the studio, making sure everything goes according to plan for the films being produced and the actors and actresses inside of those productions. Eddie always finds to fix the problem before his boss catches wind. He’s latest problem to fix: Baird Whitlock’s disappearance. Baird (George Clooney) has been kidnapped from the set of his newest blockbuster, and the demand for his return has been set at $100,000, and it’s up to Eddie Mannix to get him back while also managing other controversies at the studios without the rival gossip columnists, twins Thora and Thessaly Thacker (both played by Tilda Swinton), from finding out about any of it. The support cast includes Hobie Doyle (Alden Ehrenreich), a young star known for his cowboy whose enthusiasm for a change in acting outweighs his actual performances in them, Deeanna Moran (Scarlett Johansson), a young starlet trying to contain her pregnancy so the studio retains a good reputation, Burt Gurney (Channing Tatum), a dapper young actor and dancer with a secret, and Laurence Laurentz (Ralph Fiennes), an acclaimed director from Europe directing in America. With plenty of cameos, musical numbers, hilarious moments, and mystery, it's up to Mannix and the gang to get Baird Whitlock back!

An entertaining film with an even more entertaining cast, I enjoyed this movie quite a bit. Under the direction of the masterful writer/directors the Coen brothers, often hailed as two of the greatest modern directors, they recreate scenes from 50’s hollywood studios making it seem like it was only yesterday. Their eye for detail always shows in the production of their films and this one is no exception. The sets are very well made, which is humorous because they are more sets built within sets, having five sound stages in the movie that all have different movies being made on them. Costume design is fantastic, with both the costumes in the production’s inside the films being entertaining and the studio’s staff dress nice and appropriate for the era. The whole cast puts in their all with a script that entertains and brings plenty of rarious laughter.

Although I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, I did have one problem: I like the universe too much. The coen’s have always been know to create vibrant world and characters that pop of the screen and make you want to live life with, but Hail, Caesar! is one of the first times I have ever gone to the movies and been mad that I was not watching a TV show. Obviously the budget and sets wouldn’t have been as nice, nor would they have been able to get as an amazing cast as they did, but I honestly feel this universe could work great on the small screen. There are so many great characters in the film, and I don’t feel I got enough time with any of them. Every actor playing an actor in this movie was extremely invested in their roles, I just wish I could be with them more. Some things felt underdeveloped, like one joke in a scene then we never hear of them again, but they stay memorable enough that you wish that we joined some of their adventures. Frances Mcdormand character was one of my favorite moments in the movie, but she is only there for a three minute! It’s practically criminally! I wish that somehow in the future, there is a continuation of the Hail, Caesar! universe. It deserves.

Overall, this movie about movies is very enjoyable, and I would rate it four out of five stars. It’s not quite for everyone, but if you like previous Coen brother comedies like Barton Fink, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, and Inside Llewyn Davis, I would recommend you check out this movie, also.

Mind Over Matt Dives into Brain of Hopeless, Helpless Illustrator

by KAREN STEELE

      The lights were out. The entire auditorium was dark. Slowly, the lights came on... and lead Christopher Moran was asleep in his underwear, as was his nerdy subconscious counterpart, played by Sam Miller. McLoughlin's newest drama play is a hilarious comedy called Mind Over Matt.

     “It's been a really fun adventure, and it's a smaller cast than we've had before,” said Director Melissa Cunnington, comparing this play to ones in the past. “It's a little bit different than what we've done before, so it's exciting that we're attempting something a little bit more challenging for us.” In years past, she has had to work hard to find a play with enough parts so everyone in the drama class who wanted to be in the play could. For this semester's play, she tried something new: choosing a play with a small cast and opening up the opportunity for everyone in the school to audition.

      Despite all of the jokes cracked (along with the Star Trek references out the wazoo), Mind Over Matt offers the opportunity to take a much closer look at why people do the things they do. The different personalities of Matt (played by Moran) are personified by Taylor Johnson, Collin Green, Sam Miller, Marcos Saldaña, and David James, who, respectively represent Matt's responsible, vain, nerdy, curmudgeonly, and misogynistic sides. Together, the five personalities take turns controlling what Matt does and says, bearing similarities to Pixar's Inside Out, but with a very unique feel and atmosphere.

     The actors have put lots of effort into their play, as shown in their near-perfect synchronization when Matt hits his head on the table and all five of his personalities react at the same time. Both Saldaña and Miller put lots of time into developing the voices of their characters; Saldaña with a gravelly tone that sounds like it would hurt his throat and Miller with a constant, nasally whine. Moran did a great job keeping himself occupied while not distracting the audience during the soliloquies of the personalities, and Cynthia Ruiz (playing Rose) bravely had a glass full of water tossed at her.

     Katie Torres (Ms. Killian) dominated the stage with her powerful presence as she stalked back and forth, demanding the audience's attention as she delivers her icy lines. The cast also shares a sense of familiarity, like they all have known each other for Matt's whole life, proven when they march together in a drunken conga line and cracking up while making (terrible) puns. The role of Matt's cranky landlord, Mrs. Snyder (Grace Miller) reaps laughter, as does the friendly banter between the Devil and the Angel (Sandra Pereyda and Ashley Gardner), who take turns making good and bad choices for Matt.

     As always, this Mac-Hi play delivers, providing a chance for students to see their peers in completely different ways (i.e. in their underwear, drinking from sippy cups, wearing each other's underwear, and some butt-slapping). All in all, Mind Over Matt is another great performance by the Pioneers and Mrs. Cunnington, with props to the crew (Mackenzie Norton, Grace Merritt, and Cynthia Lozano) and Todd Cunnington for his continued willingness to help with stage setup.

Samuel Miller, seen tied up. Johnson helped, while James, Green, and Saldana stood by.

Torres places a gentle hand on Moran's shoulder while Saldana enjoys the view, and Miller, James, Green, and Johnson run away in fear.

Pereyda looks at Ruiz and Moran lovingly.

The entire crew: Lozano, Merrit, Ruiz, Torres, James, Samuel Miller, Moran, Johnson, Saldana, Green, Gardner, Grace Miller, and Pereyda. Not pictured: Mackenzie Norton.

Some memorable quotes:

• “Good morning, testosterooomies!” - Rose (Johnson)
• “Ms. Killian? More like Mrs. Kill-Her-Men!” - Dylan (Green)
• “Who do you think is the best [James] Bond?” - Matt, asking Penny (Ruiz), a potential love interest, the most important question
• “Halo everybody!” - Angel (Gardner) to Devil (Pereyda)
• “She wants to have our babies!” - Butch (James)
• “We're sorry... That your stupidity forced us to hurt you!” - Dylan