With ‘Hail, Caesar!’ the Coen Brothers (Joel, 1954, and Ethan, 1957) have delivered their 17th film in 32 years (‘Blood Simple’ arrived in 1984). While certainly not their best it’s got plenty to enjoy. There is not much story to speak off, but the long film production sequences at the fictional Capitol Pictures (featured also in ‘Barton Fink’) offer plenty of fun. Then there’s the cast… Clooney is great as moviestar Baird Whitlock, and Josh Brolin is solid in the lead. Only Scarlett Johansson still can’t act. Yes, the camera does love her, but I just never believe a word she says…

The Coens’ first eight films were significantly better than their later eight (I don’t know why exactly, but I always divide their movies in series of eight films) My personal top 3 consists of movies that belong to their first wave of eight films. With ‘Hail, Caesar!’ they have started a new sequence in my mind of again eight movies. Considering their ages 62 and 59 and considerable speed in filmmaking they should be able to complete their third wave and round off their careers with 24 films canned in total. A terrific prospect because they still got it as far as I’m concerned.

So how do I rank all their movies? As follows.

17. A Serious Man (2009)
16. True Grit (2010)
15. Intolerable Cruelty (2003)
14. Blood Simple. (1984)
13. The Ladykillers (2004)
12. Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)
11. Hail, Caesar! (2016)
10. Raising Arizona (1987)
09. Burn After Reading (2008)
08. The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)
07. The Man Who Wasn’t There (2001)
06. Barton Fink (1991)
05. O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
04. No Country For Old Men (2007)
03. Fargo (1996)
02. Miller’s Crossing (1990)
01. The Big Lebowski (1998)

Indeed, the Dude abides.