The Sandspur Volume 122 Issue 15

Issue 15, Volume 122 Thursday, February 11, 2016

pages 4 & 5

Page NEWS Page #2 •• SECTION OPINIONS

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Thursday, September Thursday, February 11, 2014 2016

Is there trouble in the new rFLA system?

A professor of the Department of Business wants to collect information from students about the Neighborhoods before posing a possible alternative to the system.

Allen H. Kupetz

Co-chair, Dept. of Business

To those students in new general education courses—the Rollins Foundations in the Liberal Arts (rFLA) Neighborhood courses—I have one question for you: How are you finding the experience?

Even if you thought one of your teachers was great, or a course was fun or interesting, do you find that the program furthers your liberal arts education?

One more question: has anyone else asked you this question?

Are you left with the impression that the school wants input from you and other students? Or are you left with the feeling that it is what it is and there is nothing students can do about it?

Paraphrasing one of our most famous graduates, Fred Rogers, “we live in a world in which we need to share responsibility. It’s easy to say...’It’s not my problem.’ Then there are those who see the need and respond.”

If you think the rFLA Neighborhood requirement is serving you well, great. I am focused on your success and am delighted

the school is meeting your needs.

If you are unhappy with the rFLA Neighborhood requirement—the content, the disruption to your schedule, the limited choices, the overly complicated structure, or the time wasted marching around with a banner for a Neighborhood you chose, but to which you have no loyalty—why would you?—I want you, using Mr. Rogers’ words, to respond.

What about a different GenEd model, one that solves the problems with the old alphabet soup, but still ensures Rollins students are liberally educated and exposed to new ideas outside their major?

It is called TENS. It will not take a whole pamphlet to explain this alternative. You will not spend a day in a Rollins College Conference (RCC) course learning about it.

And you certainly will not march around the gym with signs like you did when you were six years old.

TENS is a 10-course GenEd curriculum: - RCC - One foreign language course at the 200-level or higher And ANY two existing courses in each of the letters: - HumaniTies (one of which is ENG 140) - Expressive Arts (one of which is Health & Wellness) - Natural Sciences, Math, and Statistics - Social Sciences What do you think? I want to know.

My email is akupetz@rollins.edu. Please send me your thoughts with me. I will bundle them all together—in support of TENS and against it – and anonymously share them with those that brought you rFla. Thanks for responding.

Behind the scenes at the Writing Center Michael Dulman

Writer

Bad grammar is all around us. We see it in text messages, Facebook posts, and GroupMe messages. It glares at us from official documents and oversized billboards.

Even in colleges and universities full of people who have written for years, non-standard English wriggles its way into academic essays and other assignments where a misplaced punctuation mark can be deadly.

To solve this, Rollins offers a solution: TJ’s Tutoring and Writing Consulting at Olin Library (also known as the Writing Center). Students vetted for proficiency in the English language put aside time in their week to help their fellow students erase excess verbiage and point out those dangling participles.

I thought this was a terrific idea—until I asked my friends about their take on the Writing Center, how they used it and what their experiences were like. I was horrified to learn that some of them would walk in just to ask a consultant to proofread their paper and sit for an hour as someone else scribbled away at their work.

Saddled with this impression, I had originally intended to write an article about how students abuse the poor Writing Center consultants, assuming that proper English was dead and that English majors were fighting a lost cause to preserve its rotting corpse.

I find myself greatly relieved that this is not the case, as I learned from interviews with the writing consultants.

It turns out that Writing Center clients rarely sit idly during consultations (which would probably be as boring for the students as it would be for the consultants).

Usually, students at the center have a genuine interest in improving their paper, learning to write better, or just making sure they were right about that tricky

grammar rule they can never quite remember.

I was even happier to hear the understanding attitude that consultants have toward their clients. Often, they have also struggled with writing, and empathize with their clients’ pain.

“Different people are at different stages of writing ability,” said writing consultant Morgan McConnell ‘17. “I feel that some high schools prepared students to write college papers while others did not, and that is not the student’s fault. If they have specific questions about grammar, I am more than happy to answer them.

“There is no sense in being annoyed with someone who is trying to learn a new skill.”

Though people of varying levels come to TJ’s, consultants tend to see the same types of questions presented at appointments.

Correct comma placement is an eternal struggle—an infamous dilemma—even for experienced writers.

Others struggle with clarity and simplifying their ideas.

A fresh set of eyes and a new perspective are invaluable in revising a paper, but between high demand and conflicting schedules, you might not always find time to see a consultant.

Thankfully, that new perspective can be closer than you think; you can always revise your own paper, but give yourself time between the writing and revising to do it correctly.

“Don’t try to edit right after you’ve written it,” writing consultant Kate Stefanski ‘17 recommended.

“Give your mind time to detach from it before you rip it apart.” You may know your own thesis too well to see that the words don’t quite express it until you have had a break.

Bad grammar may be pervasive, but it is also conquerable.

Checking grammar requires vigilant effort, but as long as good editors are around, we can turn the tide.

The opinions on this page do not necessarily reflect those of The Sandspur, its staff or Rollins College.

Page 3 • FEATURES

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Expressive A look inside “Inequality, Diversity, and Democracy” Arts Workshop taught by Dr. Davison and “Global Development” taught

by Dr. Warnecke promotes wellness Class Profiles

Eric Hilton

News Intern

“Inequality, Diversity, and Democracy” The neighborhood When Cultures Collide specializes in the analysis of cultural conflicts and evolution visible in the United States and the world. A class within that neighborhood, “Inequality, Diversity, and Democracy”, taught by Political Science Professor Donald Davison, looks to analyze the simultaneous increases in income inequality and ethnic diversity within the United States.

“I teach in the areas of racial discrimination, civil rights, and economic inequality,” said Davison. “I want this to be a natural setting where students who are not social science majors can be exposed to this theme.”

Students are encouraged to think critically about different individual’s perceptions of inequality and how different factors can impact one’s understanding of their social class or

definition of democracy.

The course’s objective is to give students a better understanding of the discrepancies concerning opportunity afforded in the United States. Dr. Davison hopes to accomplish this by having students conduct research using surveys, and compare it to preconceived theories about cultural conflict and equality.

“I hope to use substantive information to reinforce learning objectives like critical thinking and ethical reasoning,” he said.

Davison wants students to “be aware and informed about these important issues rather than relying on the rhetoric of the media.”

is no exception. The class studies issues, policies, and inequality facing developing countries.

“I started teaching development courses that required a background in economics,” said Warnecke, “but I think these topics are important for everybody to know so I wanted to teach a class that was open to all majors.”

In order to measure their effectiveness, goals set by the United Nations and other agencies are analyzed.

Students are given a developing country to research and must also write a report about a specific policy that they want to learn more about. “‘Global Development’ seeks to understand what solutions and strategies work and are being deployed in struggling nations. I want students to leave with a broad understanding of critical international development issues but also be empowered about ways they can make change today and in their future,” said Warnecke.

“Global Development” The Social Entrepreneurship and Business major at Rollins strives to foster a desire in students to seek and understand the problems the world faces, and help develop innovations and strategies to combat them.

“Global Development”, a class taught by Dr. Tonia Warnecke,

The Wellness Center recently held a creative workshop to help improve mental health on campus by making memory boxes.

Christina Fuleihan

Staff Writer

Some of the most creative individuals on campus work in the Wellness Center pursuing and promoting the nine dimensions of wellness: physical, emotional, intellectual, occupational, financial, environmental, social, creative, and spiritual.

On Friday, Jan. 29, the Wellness Center hosted the Color Your Anchor: Expressive Arts Workshop, where participating students created their own memory boxes.

Amber Wakeman, the mental health counseling intern who planned the event, was thinking of students dealing with grief when she came up with the idea of using memory boxes for the event.

Wakeman said, “The purpose of the box was left open to interpretation.”

This freedom with design meant all students had the

chance to set aside some time and showcase their creativity.

“For example, the box could be used to hold personal mementos such as pictures, letters, positive thoughts, etc. depending on the student’s preference,” said Wakeman.

She also mentioned that the “team at the Wellness Center is constantly striving to create an environment that simultaneously promotes student involvement and wellness.

“Part of achieving this goal includes the development of various upcoming groups and workshops.”

If you missed the first workshop, good news: all the positive feedback from students who attended Color Your Anchor means that another Expressive Arts Workshop will be held later in the semester.

Be on the lookout for upcoming groups and workshops hosted by Wellness Center throughout the semester.

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Page Page #2 NEWS 4 •• SECTION FEATURES

Sianna Boschetti

Staff Writer

Rollins prides itself on its sense of community and great liberal arts education. It seems that the recent push for diversity stems, in part, from Rollins’ new president. The campus is now home to a wealth movements for inclusion.

“Diversity and inclusion have always been engrained into the ethos of Rollins in various respects, but I believe that we’ll see it rise even more to the forefront within the next few years,” said Abby Hollern, Director of the Center for Inclusion and Campus Involvement.

The Center for Inclusion and Campus Involvement has many initiatives to promote campus diversity. These include culture and heritage celebrations, diversity and inclusion initiatives, both of which will be planned with student organization leaders.

This month, Rollins celebrated MLK week and will carry out several events for Black History Month, including groups for women of color, Black Student Union Meetings, and events at the Winter Park Library.

But what do the students think?

Rollins is a relatively inclusive community, according to

Thursday, September Thursday, February 11, 2014 2016

Bernard Farquharson ’16.

“Though it has a long way to go before it represents the diverse population of the U.S., I think the campus climate towards diversity is positive,” he said.

“I doubt there are many here who adamantly oppose a diverse population. Even though I fall in a very small minority here, I’ve never felt excluded because of it. I think we could do better on speaking out and standing up for our minority groups no matter how small they are. I worry when peaceful protests for the black lives matter movement are met with sneers and apathy, when a group of predominantly black high school students visits campus and someone Yik Yaks, ‘What’s with the hood visiting Rollins?’ and received positive comments and votes. I don’t know if our problem is so much diversity as it is apathy,” said Farquharson.

Ashley Williams ’18, the President of the Black Student Union, noted a change in the campus climate since her freshman year at Rollins.

“From when I first got here to now, I feel like [there has been a] big improvement,” Williams said. “When I first got here, one of the main issues was their sense of diversity [with] international students versus their diversity

in domestic students, but seeing the change this year I see that they’re trying, but we still have a lot of work to do.”

Many attribute the improvement in diversity and inclusion to President Grant Cornwell. His efforts to increase campus diversity have not gone unnoticed by students or faculty. Hania Powell ’18, Vice President of Rollins’ LGBTQ+ organization, Spectrum, and a board member of Voices For Women, applauded President Cornwell’s plans for increasing diversity and promoting inclusivity on campus.

“President Cornwell and his wife, Peg Cornwell, seem to be really enthusiastic about making changes on campus and working toward creating a more diverse student body, with more attention given to the growth and increased opportunities of diversity-centered student organizations like the Black Student Union and Spectrum,” she said.

“I’m excited to see how they’ll improve the campus and hopefully enact significant change.”

Hollern also credited President Cornwell’s presence with creating positive change in the campus climate. “[Diversity] was a major focus of the search criteria in our recent presidential search and we were grateful to find President Cornwell,” Hollern stat-

ed. “Even in his short time on campus, President Cornwell has moved the needle in this area. As the campus engages in the upcoming strategic plan under his leadership, I feel confident that this will be a guiding principle.”

President Cornwell’s emphasis on the importance of diversity to the Rollins community stems from the nature of a liberal arts education.

“Diversity is simply central to a liberal education tuned to prepare students for global citizenship and responsible leadership,” Cornwell stated.

“Diversity is essential to our mission. There is only one way to liberally educate students for global citizenship and responsible leadership and that is within the context of a learning community; wherein students learn to listen across difference, to collaborate in the creation of new knowledge and deeper insight with students, faculty and staff who come to this project with a diverse array of identities and life experiences. We cannot be an excellent liberal arts college without being a diverse liberal arts college.”

Powell also commented upon this diverse learning and the tie to the liberal arts.

“That type of diverse learning environment should be fully considered a critical part of a

liberal arts education,” Powell stated. “No student should leave a liberal arts college without a basic understanding of privilege and oppression. No student should leave feeling comfortable or satisfied with the fact that this campus is 70% white. Yes, everyone should go out of their way to educate themselves on social issues and dynamics of inequality, but if any student leaves this campus without understanding that these issues affect every single one of us, Rollins, as a liberal arts institution, has failed.”

Increasing diversity starts with incoming students. Getting new, diverse students to a liberal arts school such as Rollins, Williams points out, will be key to increasing diversity on our campus. According to Rollins website, the school has students from more than 40 states and 50 countries. Also, more than 30 percent of students are international or of color.

“I think, moving forward, we need to start thinking outside the box,” she said. “We need to stop sticking to traditional ways that we have here at Rollins.

Let’s start going to these areas where we think that students may not be interested in this school. It’s not that they may not be interested, it’s that they may not ever know about Rollins and the liberal arts.”

Page 5 • FEATURES

Thursday, February 11, 2016

“ “ “ “ “ I believe that if, as the Rollins Community, we all were empathetic to experiences outside of our own, we would be on a great path.”

- Destinee Lott, Assistant Director of Center for Inclusion & Campus Involvement

“Rollins is predominately white. Diversity comes almost entirely from international students. There are some ethnic clubs, but the clubs and community around campus are lacking, I find. The only organizations that get real attention, even if we’re just looking at attention from the student body, are the Greek organizations...

Diversity and inclusion, beyond an academic setting and into a social setting, starts with ending discrimination on money and income.”

– Cassidy Padal ‘18

“As an international student with a friend circle composed of mostly other international students, I know there’s a fair amount of diversity present on Rollins’ campus. My experience tells me that that diversity is very much unto itself, so what remains is two very distinct groups on campus that are not diverse at all amongst themselves. There’s diversity, but it doesn’t diversify; it sort of surrounds.

-Diego Medrano ‘18

“I think Rollins is legitimately trying to create a diverse and inclusive campus, but there are times when I’m kind of overwhelmed by the fact that I’m maybe one of two minority people in a classroom. I think it would be great to see more of a heterogenous mix of students across campus. Accepting students from more diverse backgrounds could only help Rollins.”

– Karina Andujar ‘17

“There’s a lack of diversity in the day students for sure, but that’s because of the tuition costs and there’s a lack of aid for a lot of people. I know for the night school it seems a lot more diverse than day school. The only thing I could think of that would fix it would be tuition costs but I feel like that’s impossible for a school of this standard.”

– Amy Williams ‘18

Page 6 • ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Thursday, February 11, 2016

‘Becky Shaw’ wows its audience

Acclaimed Chilean author visits Rollins

Winter With the Writers is off to a The student-produced romantic comedy opened in great start with the visit of Chilean the Fred Stone Theatre on Feb. 3 and touched upon the author, screenwriter, and playwright themes of family and truth.

Antonio Skármeta.

Victoria Villavicencio

Writer

On Feb. 3, the Fred Stone Theatre opened its doors to a crowd of eager theatergoers gathered for the opening night of Becky Shaw. Brimming with family and friends of the cast and crew, the show opened to a full house that enjoyed a thoroughly entertaining evening.

A romantic comedy that includes the oft-forgotten comedic half of its genre, Becky Shaw had its audience in stitches, regardless of age. Despite the rom-com label, it touched heavily upon the themes of family and familial obligations, asking to what lengths people would go for their nearest and dearest, or for

those whom they barely know?

When newlyweds Andrew (Taylor Wright ’16) and Suzanna (Andee Atkins ’18) attempt to play matchmaker for their friends, their romantic evening takes a bad turn. Suzanna’s longtime family friend Max (James Blaisdell ’17) immediately clashes with the eponymous Becky Shaw (Tori McDonald ’19), Andrew’s sweet but socially awkward co-worker. Underscored

by Suzanna and Max’s complicated family history, a series of darkly humorous situations unfold when the date goes from awkward to catastrophic.

The cast had a lively dynamic with its mix of quirky and acerbic humor, particularly when introducing Suzanna’s

mother (Bailey DeVoe ’18) as the harbinger of politically-incorrect truths.

Becky Shaw had the distinction of being the second in a line of student-produced shows known as the Second Stage Series and ran from Feb. 3 until Feb. 6.

Directed by Giana Blazquez ’16, Becky Shaw was produced by Rollins Players and created by a talented all-student crew. Next in the Second Stage Series is Detroit, a ‘scary-funny’ play set in the most terrifying of American locales–the suburbs. Written by Lisa D’Amour and directed by Kathleen Capdesuñer ’17, Detroit will run April 6–9 at the Fred Stone Theatre. Tickets are free for all Rollins students and members of the community.

Spencer Riggi

Writer

Winter With the Writers began with a fantastic visit from Chilean author, screenwriter, and playwright Antonio Skármeta, whose willingness to dedicate so much of his time and enthusiasm to our college was truly humbling.

The interns’ first experience with him was a private workshop in which myself and four other interns (Lindsay Granduke ‘16HH, Luis Guerrero ‘18, Lara López-Lueje ‘19, and Jennifer Valero ‘17) discussed our English-translated copies of his originally Spanish songs (which can be viewed on the Winter With the Writers website).

In this session, we were immediately introduced to his bountiful energy and contagious humor. What ensued was an enlightening conversation about the intricacies of beat and rhythm in his writing and the importance of not sacrificing a specific “feel” or “sound” in the process of translation.

Later that same night, we attended the screening of Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larrain’s Oscar-nominated film NO! based on Skármeta’s play The Referendum.

The event provided an opportunity for everyone in attendance to interact with Skármeta until doors for the film opened.

Then, we all packed into the theater and enjoyed a dramatic re-telling of Chile’s utterly surreal 1988 plebiscite, in which the country was given the democratic choice to vote “yes” or “no” to brutal dictator General Augusto Pinochet.

Following the screening, a brief Q&A session was held, and special, never-before-seen footage of A Movie Life, Brazilian actor/director Selton Mello’s adaptation of Skármeta’s most recent novel A Distant Father, was shown.

At 4:30 p.m. on the final day of his visit, Skármeta treated the audience in Bush Auditorium to a one-man reading of his play, the aforementioned Referendum, source of both NO! and Skármeta’s novel The Days of the Rainbow.

The roughly 45-minute prePhotos by Carter Richard

sentation included enthralling back and forth dialogue, rich with humor and irony, as well as real clips of the “no” side’s advertising campaign from the 1988 vote.

Skármeta returned to Bush later in the evening to read from A Distant Father, an experience that produced laughter, cheerful gasps of disbelief, and a standing ovation upon its conclusion.

Afterwards, Winter With the Writers director and English professor Carol Frost sat down with Skármeta for an on-stage interview, reading questions posed by audience members. His same brand of whimsicality shone through, along with his intense love of writing and music.

Soon after, Skármeta was set up at a table, graciously signing copies of his books and bidding farewell to those in attendance.

His smile, even after such a long day and week, was infectious.

All in all, the experience was something I will remember for the rest of my life, and I know the same goes for my fellow interns.

Skármeta’s passion and love for his writing was clear from the very first moment that we met him. His kindness and humility are truly something to be admired. On behalf of all the WWW Interns and Rollins College as a whole, a sincere “thank you” and “please, please come again someday” is more than deserved.

The end of the first week of Winter With the Writers was somewhat bittersweet, like turning the last page of Skármeta’s Distant Father, or Days of The Rainbow, or The Postman. As hectic, exhausting, and memorable as it was, the crazy part is that this was only the first week.

There is still so much more left to come for us interns.

On Thursday, Feb. 11, Rollins’ own Dr. Phil Deaver and his works Silent Retreats and the very recently published Forty Martyrs will be celebrated. There will be a reading at 7:30 p.m., with a Master Class at 4:00 p.m.

You can visit the Winter With the Writers website for more information and to view the works of students to be workshopped on stage with award-winning writer Brian Turner.

Page 7 • ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Trash 2 Trends The annual Trash 2 Trends fashion show raises money to clean up the city of Orlando and the greater Central Florida area. Initiatives include organizing trash clean-ups, removing graffiti, and supporting recycling efforts.

Lea Warren

Columnist

This past weekend, I served as a stylist and makeup artist in the annual Trash 2 Trends Fashion Show, an event organized

by Keep Orlando Beautiful and sponsored by Sea World. The show’s purpse is to raise money for cleaning up the city of Orlando and the greater Central Florida area.

As such, this fashion show features a bit of a twist for all the designers: their garments are crafted completely from discarded materials. Thirty-three designers were hand-selected out of a pool of applicants from across the state, and each crafted a look from soda cans, newspaper, trash bags, old maps and atlases, plastic bottles, napkins, shower curtains, scrap metal, old neck ties, cardboard and even shower loofas. As long as it was headed to the trash, it was fair game.

This is the third year the show has been put on, and the turnout has grown exponentially since its creation. It was hosted

by Doug Ba’auser, Miss Sammy, and Scott Maxwell, with Patty Sheehan, Maxine Earhart, Nailuj Villarroel, and Flora Maria Garcia judging. There were five winning categories, four of which were decided by the lively judging panel. These included Best Use of Materials, Avant-Garde, Most Wearable, and Top Design.

The fifth and final award, labeled Audience Choice, was decided by a post-show mingling session

with the models and the audience members.

Models, accompanied by their designers, had the chance to walk through the crowds, and the adoring audience was given the opportunity to donate to their favorite design. The three designs that earned the most in donations were then called to the stage where the final winner was decided by the magnitude of audience applause. Though there was only one final winner for this category, every design earned an amazing amount of money, with the top three bringing in over $600 in the space of fifteen minutes.

All of that fundraising, along with the proceeds from ticket sales and donations from sponsors, goes toward cleaning up The City Beautiful.

The show, held every February, displays some of the most innovative clothing designs and artwork of the year. Local designers fight to be a part of the event, and the show is always packed to the bursting point with excited guests. This year, every seat was filled, and the designers did not disappoint the anxious crowds.

As a stylist, I had the opportunity to step backstage and observe the preparation process, which began at noon and only ended after we were all shooed from the staging area five minutes before the show began at 8:00 p.m. Designers were running about constantly, grabbing final touches for gowns, cleaning up loose ends, or, in one case, even spray painting the plastic

gown after the model was already in the garment.

There were model calls for rehearsals, tendrils of steam from dozens of curling irons and straighteners, and a constant cloud of hairspray that followed us everywhere.

Long tables were filled with every color of every brand of makeup imaginable, and racks upon racks boasted gorgeous gowns crafted from recycled materials.

I had to laugh as I watched the chaotic preparations and overheard things like “Don’t worry, I brought my soldering iron,” or “Does anyone have pliers?” followed by dozens of hands shooting up from other designers. I even found myself partaking in the unique prep work for this particular runway as my designer’s model had a last-minute malfunction and we were forced to prowl the crowds for a hot glue gun.

We all had a running joke by the end of the day: Only at Trash 2 Trends would it be normal to see someone taking a blowtorch to a piece of clothing.

This incredible runway show displayed some of the most amazing wearable art imaginable, earning gasps from the crowd each time a new look made its way onto the runway. I was honored to be a part of this beautiful event, and I encourage everyone who is able to attend next year to do so. A fun night of fancy clothes, amazing food, exciting raffles, and beautiful dresses awaits you.

Photos by Lea Warren

Page 8 • ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Coen Brothers illustrate the strangeness of life Nicolas Nagaoka

Columnist

The Coen Brothers return for another hit film, but it may not be for everyone.

Hail Caesar!, directed by Ethan and Joel Coen and starring Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Alden Ehrenreich, Ralph Fiennes, Scarlett Johansson, Tilda Swinton, Jonah Hill, and Channing Tatum, tells the story of a 1950s Hollywood “fixer” named Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) dealing with the kidnapping of one of the studio’s biggest stars, Baird Whitlock (George Clooney).

Along the way, Mannix deals with other problematic Hollywood characters including the prying press sisters Thora and Thessaly Thacker (Tilda Swinton), Hollywood’s sweetheart DeeAnna Moran (Scarlett Johansson), and the highly revered director Laurence Laurentz (Ralph Fiennes).

The story is on-par with similar Coen Brothers films. Mannix is the somewhat sane individual that runs damage control on any actors or situations that arise at his studio. He is a blast in this

movie—not only is he trying to help others, but he is also attempting to understand where he is going with his life. The film begins with Mannix in confession, asking for forgiveness for lying to his wife about quitting smoking, after sneaking two cigarettes that day.

This scene sets the tone for a strange film with strange characters. Some characters were so ambiguous that one could almost envision an entire film centered on them. Joseph Silverman (Jonah Hill), a character that only appears in one scene, is by far the most interesting of all the side characters.

It is hard to describe the story without giving too much away, as the film is rather straightforward, but these characters and their relationships and situations can steal the spotlight from the main plot. The Coen Brothers have a love for supporting characters and their stories, a trait which elevates this film.

Visually, this film nails it.

The Coen Brothers have an eye for cinematography and color. The costume and set were designed for a stylized 1950s

and reference some of the stereotypical looks in past cinema.

The camera tends to fixate on the characters, creating a sense that this film features not some earth-shattering mega-plot, but stories about these people.

The cuts tend to be rathquick, but in some of the more dramatic moments, dissolves are used instead, which was a common editing technique in older filmmaking.

In some of the sequences where scenes are filmed on soundstages, there are sound effects from the golden era of filmmaking contrasted with the fantastic modern camera technology of today.

Insomuch as this film plays up the oddities and strangeness of its situations, it remains grounded in reality.

I mentioned that this film is not for everyone. Hail Caesar! is not as easily watchable as something like No Country for Old Men or True Grit. The film definitely harkens back to the weird people and situations of The Big Lewbowski, a classic Coen Brothers film.

A lot of people tend to walk

into the Coen Brothers’ movies thinking that they will get a definite conclusion, but that is not the Coen Brothers’ style.

Instead, this movie, like their others, focuses on life, including all its curveballs.

Rating: 8/10