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Intolerable Cruelty
2003
George Clooney establishes himself as a true Hollywood movie star and heir to the Cary Grant throne in this hysterical dark romantic comedy from the Coen brothers. Clooney plays Miles Massey, an unhappy and lonely divorce lawyer who specialises in protecting the wealth of men who have been caught cheating by their wives. But .. Read more
| Starring | George Clooney, Catherine Zeta Jones, Geoffrey Rush, Cedric the Entertainer |
|---|---|
| Director | Joel Coen |
| Genres | Comedy, Romance |
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Intolerable Cruelty
George Clooney establishes himself as a true Hollywood movie star and heir to the Cary Grant throne in this hysterical dark romantic comedy from the Coen brothers. Clooney plays Miles Massey, an unhappy and lonely divorce lawyer who specialises in protecting the wealth of men who have been caught cheating by their wives. But when Marilyn Rexroth (Catherine Zeta-Jones) walks into his office, he thinks he might be in love, leading to a thrilling cat-and-mouse battle of the sexes in which audiences never know who's scamming whom and whether true love is ever attainable--especially when there is a lot of money at stake.
Much has been made of the Coens' venture into mainstream movies, but INTOLERABLE CRUELTY fits in well in their pantheon of unusual and highly entertaining films, including THE HUDSUCKER PROXY, THE BIG LEBOWSKI, and BLOOD SIMPLE. Clooney and Zeta-Jones light up the screen, and they get ample support from Billy Bob Thornton as a rich country bumpkin oil magnate, Julia Duffy as a poor little rich girl, Richard Jenkins as a low-rent lawyer, Edward Herrmann as a train-loving naughty boy, Geoffrey Rush as an eccentric television producer, Cedric the Entertainer as an outrageous private investigator, and the inimitable Irwin Keyes as hit man Wheezy Joe. Fast-paced dialogue, gorgeous settings, and Clooney's facial gestures combine for a whirlwind film that is both fun and funny. The soundtrack contains many Simon & Garfunkel songs, in two cases riotously performed by a folksinging priest and a Las Vegas chapel bagpiper.
| Starring | George Clooney, Catherine Zeta Jones, Geoffrey Rush, Cedric the Entertainer, Edward Herrmann, Richard Jenkins, Billy Bob Thornton |
|---|---|
| Director | Joel Coen |
| Studio | UNIVERSAL PICTURES UK |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 35 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Collections | 100 Rom-Coms |
| Genres | Comedy, Romance |
| Language | English |
| Released | DVD: 20 Feb 2004 Production year: 2003 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (4)
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This is by far Joel and Ethan Coen's most expensive film and also their first working from an existing script. That it turns out to be their weakest effort so far may not be unconnected. A slick, colourful screwball comedy (like their own Hudsucker Proxy without the period setting), it follows the quest of ultra-successful divorce lawyer Miles Massey (George Clooney) to marry professional gold-digger Marylin Rexroth (Catherine Zeta-Jones) using his own cast-iron “pre-nup”. This being a Coen brothers film, it's populated with wonderful, often grotesque supporting characters including Edward Herrmann's philandering millionaire, Billy Bob Thornton's dozy oilman and Jonathan Hadary's eccentric trial witness. But when these turns distract from rather than add to the central plot, you're in dangerous territory. There are moments of inspired, slapstick brilliance (not least those featuring an asthmatic hitman), and Clooney works his socks off, but it lacks a hard centre and plot keeps racing ahead of character. It's neither as unhinged as their Raising Arizona nor as warm as Fargo; let's hope this is an isolated blip on the Coens' graph.
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It's a comment on modern manners that a romantic comedy should involve a gold-digging woman and a cynical divorce lawyer, but there's stylish amusement to be found.
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Most helpful member's review
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29 out of 45 people found this review helpful
Excellent in every aspect!!
When you have two of the most swarve actors playing off each other then you are bound to be onto a winner.
George Clooney and Catherine Zeta Jones are the alternate in finesse in this battle of love vs money. From the very first moment that Miles, George's character, and Marilyn, Catherine's character, meet you know that each character has completely different agendas. As Miles tries to woo Marilyn the audience is taken for a ride of hope and dispare, of will they, won't they get together. Just when you think that things have finally worked themselves out another spanner is thrown into the works.
I expect to be adding this to my DVD collection, excellent in every aspect!! -
Most recent members' review
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
I liked this one in ways I didn't expect. It's quirkier and more unreal than the typical romantic comedry about divorce. Ordinarily, that originality and unexpected humor would've boosted its rating to a 4...but although it was creative, there wasn't a lot of continuity through the film. The jokes seems episodic and opportunistic rather than fluid. It wasn't Raising Arizona....although that was what it seemed to be trying for.
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News and features
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Clooney shuns Oscars
- 16 Nov 2004
Hollywood heartthrob George Clooney has revealed that he's never been to the Oscars. The star of major hits like Intolerable Cruelty and Out of Sight said going to awards ceremonies when you haven't been nominated is "silly". "The only time I've gone to any awards show is the time that I'm nominated," he said. "Otherwise it seems kind of silly and embarrassing." Clooney is about to star in Ocean's 12, a sequel to the super-slick heist movie Ocean's 11. Despite... Read more
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George Clooney establishes himself as a true Hollywood movie star and heir to the Cary Grant throne in this hysterical dark romantic comedy from the Coen brothers. Clooney plays Miles Massey, an ... -