Joel Coen: ‘As far as movie executives are concerned, the bottom line is just the dollar’
Ahead of the release of Hail, Caesar!, their affectionate satire of Hollywood’s Golden Age, the Coen brothers explain why diversity at the Oscars isn’t the awards’ responsibility, and how they can only write what they write
In conversation, as in their work, sibling filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen are known for a kind of uncanny symbiosis. Their sentences run together as effortlessly as they divide the writing, directing and producing duties they have shared over the course of 17 feature films. So it seems reasonable, at the start of a conference call interview, to ask that each brother identify himself before speaking.
“This is Joel talking,” a disembodied voice says with an sigh. “But we don’t care if you misinterpret. We really don’t. It’s not an issue. You can say whoever you want is saying it.”
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“You can say you’re saying it,” chimes in Ethan, amid what sounds like cackling laughter. Back to Joel: “You can make stuff up if you want. We don’t care. It’s fine.”
During the interview, silliness gives way to seriousness (and vice versa) as the brothers discuss their love-hate relationship with Hollywood today.
Their new movie, Hail, Caesar!, revolves around the kidnapping of movie star Baird Whitlock (George Clooney) by a cabal of communist screenwriters. Leading the effort to find him is no-nonsense studio executive Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin), who must juggle babysitting duties for several troubled productions, including one directed by a pretentious filmmaker named Laurence Laurentz (Ralph Fiennes), who, it should be noted, is nothing like either of the Coens.