I'm a Coen Bros fan. And while this film has the characteristic quirky humor, it lacks the weight and impact of earlier pictures. I really enjoyed it while watching, but walked away feeling unsatisfied.

What an odd paradox, I remember all the well earned funny moments, and the smashingly entertaining reinventions of old-time movie moments, splendidly and lovingly presented; yet at the same time I simply feel fulfilled. It's mostly because the film fails emotionally. There is a glimmer of it, a wonderful start where the cowboy actor has a night out with the glamour queen, but not only is that moment truncated, but it's never revisited. The second impressive moment of connecting emotionally with the audience is also truncated for an unfortunately predictable laugh. I suspect the brothers were torn about whether to ride it out or not … trying to do the brave thing, I think they made the less brave choice.

*SPOILER: here's how I would have written that moment…

"Clooney delivers the speech to the end. It's awesome and the brothers let that moment ride, let all of us in the audience feel it as those on the fake set feel it. It's such an awesome achievement for Clooney anyway … he's got to over act for the period piece, but somehow steal the hearts of modern audiences despite. Then after the moment is secured, emotions fulfilled, now come in for the laugh. Someone reminds him that he used the old version of the speech, he says "Son of a bitch" as he did, but this time he catches himself and looks up at the actor on the cross, "Not you, I didn't mean you."

-- Books by Ross Anthony, Author/Illustrator --