Hail, Caesar! Will You Have You Hailing for Your Pillow

Cast: George Clooney, Josh Brolin, Channing Tatum, Scarlett Johansson, Jonah Hill, Alden Ehrenreich, Ralph Fiennes, Tilda Swinton

Hollywood in the 1950s is full of glamour and scandal. As fixer for Capital Pictures, Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) finds his days full of averting nosy reporters, concocting stories to cover up unplanned pregnancies and acting as peacemaker between directors and actors. But his biggest fix comes when the studio’s star, Baird Whitlock (George Clooney), is kidnapped and held for ransom. Without tipping off the media, Mannix has to get Whitlock back safely, all the while dealing with the daily problems of the studio.

Like all Coen Brothers comedies, Hail, Caesar! is a quirky, oddball film full of goofy antics and overly exaggerated characterizations. Although it had its funny moments and one-liners, the film was slow and boring overall. The individual plots were funny but, as a whole, the characters were linked together in a weak manner. And while we realized the point of Scarlett Johansson and Jonah Hill’s characters were simply to show the type of problems a fixer has to deal with, I would have been more than satisfied if that storyline was removed entirely -- making the film at least twenty minutes shorter. It simply didn’t offer any real substance. The best part of the whole movie was watching Channing Tatum sing and tap dance in his sailor uniform. But, after those five minutes were over, we were back to an uneventful storyline.

Even the charms of George Clooney weren't enough to keep me and the person next to me, who fell asleep, interested or invested in any of the characters. Whitlock, the catalyst of the film, finds himself kidnapped by Communists, but never really understands the severity of his situation. After listening to the Communists speak, he believes in the truths they are telling him. But once he is “rescued” -- and I use the word rescued lightly as he was happily enjoying a martini in an empty house when he was found – he agrees, after being manhandled a bit by Mannix, that the studios treat him and all in their employ well and he should be appreciative. In fact, by the end of the film you realize everything that happened was for naught and the same exact outcome would have happened with or without the kidnapping.

Overall Grade:C

Recipes from Old Hollywood

Hail, Caesar! brought us back to old Hollywood -- a time of high class and glamour. There are a number of celebrity cookbooks available, but do you ever wonder if the greats like Rock Hudson, Katharine Hepburn or Frank Sinatra had any favorite recipes? Wonder no more! The Dead Celebrity Cookbook: A Resurrection of Recipes from More Than 145 Stars of Stage and Screen, by Frank DeCaro brings you dishes like John Wayne’s Casserole, Dean Martin’s Burgers & Bourbon and Joan Crawford’s Poached Salmon. Here’s one of Elizabeth Taylor’s recipes to try out!

Elizabeth Taylor’s Chicken with Avocado and Mushrooms

1 avocado, peeled and cubed

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 (2 1/2 pound) chickens, cut into serving pieces

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup butter

3 finely chopped shallots

3 tablespoons cognac

1/3 cup dry white wine

1 cup whipping cream

2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup chicken stock

Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Sprinkle avocado with lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate. Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a large heavy skillet, over low heat, heat 3 to 4 tablespoons butter and sauté chicken until juices run yellow when it is pricked with a fork, about 35 to 40 minutes. Use two skillets if necessary, adding more butter as needed. Transfer cooked chicken to a serving dish. Cover loosely with aluminum foil. Keep warm in a 300 degree F oven for 15 minutes, while preparing sauce.

To make the sauce, add shallots to skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring and scraping sides and bottom of pan with wooden spoon. Add cognac and wine and bring to a boil. Boil until mixture has almost evaporated. Add cream and boil 5 minutes longer. Add chicken stock to cream mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick. While sauce cooks, sauté mushrooms over high heat in butter. Add the mushrooms, remaining cognac, and avocado cubes. Stir until well blended. Pour over chicken. Sprinkle with parsley.

Source: Mental Floss - 10 Recipes from the Kitchens of Classic Hollywood Stars, by Kelli Marshall. To read the full article, click here.