It’s one of my favorite genres, and certainly one that insiders love as well: films about the entertainment industry. Whether the storyline centers around making movies, TV shows, Broadway plays or music, Hollywood can’t seem to get enough of showcasing Hollywood. The latest example is this week’s release of the Coen Bros. comedy “Hail, Caesar!”, about a popular 1950s movie star (played by George Clooney) who gets kidnapped and the studio detective in charge of solving the case. Joining Clooney in the strong ensemble are longtime and current A-listers Josh Brolin, Ralph Fiennes Jonah Hill, Scarlett Johansson, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton and Channing Tatum.
Over the past few years, the movie world has been spotlighted by two Best Picture Oscar winners: “The Artist”, the silent B&W gem about the end of the silent era and the rise of talkies, and “Argo”, which used the production of a fake film as the basis for an incredible Iran Hostage Crisis rescue mission. 2013’s “Saving Mr. Banks” (which should’ve been nominated for, and, frankly, won, Best Picture) powerfully captured the making of Disney’s musical classic “Mary Poppins” through the interactions of author P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson), the legendary Sherman Brothers, screenwriter Don DaGradi and Walt Disney himself (Tom Hanks).
In 2014’s “Birdman”, Michael Keaton’s movie star Riggan Thomson clashed with Broadway vets during the production of “What Do We Talk About When We Talk About Love?” at NYC’s St. James Theatre. Last year’s “Straight Outta Compton” nicely captured the highs and lows of the music industry as experienced by members of the revolutionary rap group N.W.A. as they catapulted to fame. And “Trumbo” (starring Best Actor Oscar nominee Bryan Cranston) tells the true story of Blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, who was forced to work (and actually wrote Academy Award-winning screenplays) under false names after being banned by the studios. Powerful gossip columnist Hedda Hopper (Helen Mirren) vowed to expose anyone who was connected to the scandal, including Trumbo. Mirren is no stranger to movies about movies, as she also played Alma Reville in 2012’s under-appreciated “Hitchcock”, alongside Anthony Hopkins and Johansson.
A five-minute compilation of clips from films and TV shows about acting was shown during this past weekend’s Screen Actors Guild Awards. It included most of the previously mentioned films, along with a snipit of Jane Fonda’s scene in 2015’s best movie, “Youth”. In the film Fonda plays iconic diva/actress Brenda Morel, who informs director Mick Boyle (Harvey Keitel) of why she won’t be in his next movie. There were even a few clips from 2005’s “Bewitched”, which was a smart twist on the 60s TV series with Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell’s characters starring in a remake of the show.
But Hollywood’s love with itself has been a staple for DECADES. Just look at 1952’s delightful “Singin’ in the Rain” (which I think inspired much of “The Artist”). “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” (1988) was groundbreaking, mixing live-action and animated characters, as well as those of rival studios (the famous scene with Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny). And “The Truman Show” (1998), one of my all-time favorites, brilliantly examined the first “reality” TV show that became a cultural phenomenon. You can also add other recent films “The Aviator”, “Tropic Thunder”, “Hugo”, “Boogie Nights”, “For Your Consideration”, “L.A. Confidential” and “Ed Wood” to the list – and that only scratches the surface. And opening this July: “Whiplash” director Damien Chazelle’s “La La Land”, a modern-day LA-set musical romance with Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone and J.K. Simmons.
But first comes “Hail, Caesar!”, which I’m really looking forward to, though why Universal is releasing a Coen Bros. film with such an impressive cast in early February is a bit of a mystery. Maybe the studio is burying it because “Hail, Caesar!” is the rare Movie about Movies that completely misfires. Let’s hope that’s not the case.