A secret, then big slice of Caesar silliness at Royston’s community cinema this weekend

George Clooney is among the stars of Hail Caesar! (Image: Archant)

First up on Friday night is an American take on a hit Argentinian film from a few years back.

That much-praised 2009 movie was called The Secret In Their Eyes, and it captured the foreign language Oscar as well as a wave of rave reviews for an atmospheric thriller that provided an insight into a complex nation.

The Hollywood remake removes the ‘The’ from the title and most of the plus points from the original, while importing some big names in a bid to bulk it up.

Julia Roberts and Nicole Kidman share screen time with Chiwetel Ejiofor in a muddled tale of murder, a search for a killer and secrets that cannot stay hidden for ever.

But the universal verdict from the critics was, if you had to make a choice, watch the original and leave this on the shelf.

There were some sniffy reviews, too, for the latest Coen Brothers offering, but most loved Hail Caesar! as a knockabout love letter to the golden age of Hollywood, and it is showing on Saturday evening.

In a sprightly 106 minutes they offer up set-pieces that recreate sword and sandal epics, Esther Williams-style swimming choreography and song and dance showstoppers while at the same time firing out wise-cracking backroom dialogue and in-jokes galore for movie buffs.

George Clooney has a ball playing dumb as a kidnapped leading man who isn’t exactly a Mensa candidate, while Josh Brolin chews up the scenery as a hard-nosed film studio fixer kept busy hushing up scandals and pulling strings to keep the dream factory firing on all cylinders.

Watch out for turns from Ralph Fiennes, Tilda Swinton and Channing Tatum – and there’s even a part for Dolph Lundgren.

Both screenings start at 7.30pm, and you can book tickets online at www.roystonpicturepalace.org.uk, where you can also find out what else is coming up at the venue.