'Hail, Caesar!,' a Humorous Reminiscence of Hollywood of Old From the Coens&Co.

By V.W.

It was the best of the times. It was the worst of times.

It was the Golden Age of Hollywood. Movie studios were all-powerful, deciding when and what actors appeared in what films.

An era when studio chieftains loaned out actors in their stables to rival studios with little regard for other realities and often with petty motives.

The studio was the parent; the actors were the children. The bosses protected their stars, cosseted them. And punished them if they became too recalcitrant.

It is a comedic treatment of this bygone era that is captured in "Hail, Caesar!," a frothy little souffle from Joel and Ethan Coen.

Sporting an A- and B+-list cast, including George Clooney, Scarlett Johansson, Hilda Swinton and Channing Tatum, "Hail, Caesar!" opens today in U. S. theaters.

A fuller review will be published shortly.

"Hail, Caesar!" is rated PG-13 for some suggestive content and smoking; visit http://www.hailcaesarmovie.com/ to learn more about the film.

Four Stars (and Counting) for 'The Grand Budapest Hotel'

Mentor (Ralph Fiennes) and mentee (Tony Revolori) at work in swanky surroundings in "The Grand Budapest Hotel." Photos from Fox Searchlight Pictures.

IT is somehow fitting that so soon after the Academy Awards that the movie-going public should be treated to a really good film.

For the viewing pleasure is Wes Anderson's “The Grand Budapest Hotel.” The film opens today in the United Kingdom, as well as a handful of theaters in Los Angeles and New York. It opened yesterday in Germany. On 14 March, it rolls out in other major cities in the United States and Canada.

Sweeping in scope and scale, “The Grand Budapest Hotel" recounts the adventures of one M. Gustave (Ralph Fiennes), a concierge of the first order plying his trade at an Eastern European Hotel of the first order before the outbreak of Word War II. It was filmed in Germany and the UK. (See video below.)

In typical WA fashion, the story is multi-layered rather than convoluted. WA does not do convoluted, he only does multi-layered. The film opens in the present day with a young girl who has been reading a chapter in the memoir of a character only identified as The Author (Tim Wilkinson). The chapter recounts a visit he made to the Grand Budapest Hotel in the 60s. While there, he met the owner Zero Moustafa (Tony Revolori) who gave him an earful about his former august lodging house.

Here is where the action starts as Zero recalls how he met M. Gustave, his training as a lobby boy and how he assisted his mentor in clearing his name after the former is accused of murder. In the interim, there is a murder investigation, murder charge, murder trial, will-reading, cross-country chases, death threats, prison break, police pursuit and sundry other incidents, accidents and mishaps.

To bring these droll, madcap, thoroughly entertaining proceedings to pass, WA assembles a cast of the first order. In process, he also delivers a film that is more at home in the Golden Age of Hollywood than in this mad, modern digital age. “The Grand Budapest Hotel” is a wonderful patchwork that combines elements of WA's previous works – a staple of his – particularly “The Darjeeling Limited” and his best work to date, “The Royal Tenenbaums.”

It also has as kindred spirits the best of “The Great Race,” “The Three Stooges” and “Keystone Cops” films.

Half the fun of watching “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” which was the opening night film of the 64th Berlin International Film Festival last month and which won the festival's Jury Grand Prix Silver Bear award, is watching some of the finest actors in the business do their thing. WA smartly has them work within their range of comedy. To that end, for example, Harvey Keitel is not awkward as prison inmate Ludwig.

Indeed, another WA staple is assembling top talent. Perennials Bill Murray, Owen Wilson and Jason Schwartzman are checked in, along with semi-regulars and newbies F. Murray Abraham, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Jude Law, Edward Norton and Tilda Swinton.

M. Gustave (Ralph Fiennes) and his bevy of blondes holed up at “The Grand Budapest Hotel.”

“The Grand Budapest Hotel” arguably boasts one of the best all-star comedy casts in filmdom. It ranks right up there with “The Pink Panther,” “Blazing Saddles” and “It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.” As for sheer star power, it ranks with another film – a drama – about a great hotel, “The Grand Hotel.”

Looking for a place to stay for an hour and a half or so? Then, check into “The Grand Budapest Hotel.”

“The Grand Budapest Hotel” is rated R for language, some sexual content and violence; visit http://www.grandbudapesthotel.com/ to learn more about the film.

‘Skyfall’: Out With Old, in With New in Best of Bond

WHETHER they are good, bad or otherwise is quite beside the point. There are films that one sees because they are an event.

That is the case with the James Bond series, filmdom’s continually longest-running franchise. It is on the wave of this sentiment that Yours Truly took herself to see “Skyfall.” I expected a good ride, no matter how much credulity had to be dispensed with in the process.

James Bond (Daniel Craig) and Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem) have a touching reunion in "Skyfall." Photo courtesy of Danjaq, LLC, United Artists Corporation, Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc.

Of course, fans of the film always look forward to the prologue – the on-the-edge of-your-seat, by-the-seat-of-your-pants, pee-in-your-pants opening action sequence. The opener does not disappoint. “Skyfall” is a good ride and, surprisingly, rather quite a bit more. (See trailer above.)

Continuing its rollout across the world with its North American premiere today, “Skyfall” is simply the best film in the franchise. If there is one better, that distinction goes to “On Her Majesty's Secret Service” with George Lazenby as Bond after Sean Connery’s first retirement from the role … More shortly.