Underrated gem for fans of film history. If you liked Hudsucker Proxy then you will like this. A fun farce with an old school romantic foundation.
359 Reviews
Quite Tolerable After the Second Viewing:
Galina_movie_fan7 February 2005
I saw it recently for the second time, and even though the huge holes in the plot are still there, I liked it much more than the first time. Thinking of the holes, Coens are very talented artists - perhaps we, the audiences are supposed to be smarter than Miles Massey (George Clooney - perfectly cast) - the very successful, always victorious divorce attorney for the rich and famous? Massey is the author of unbreakable "Massey's Pre - Nup" but he is so bored and restless than maybe he is waiting for someone who would be able to break it? Enters cool and sensual Marylin Rexroth (who looks exactly like Catherine Zeta-Jones), the woman who is after "wealth, independence, and freedom" and who "eats the men like Massey for breakfast" with the glass of French red wine Château Margot, 1954. Thus starts the game of wills, wits and desires with twists in every turn. Some of them are surprising and clever, some - predictable. "Intolerable Cruelty" may not be the best Coens' film but it is enjoyable, stylish, and funny. At least two scenes closer to the end of the movie are absolutely hilarious.
Maybe I'm just not in the target audience for this one
BrandtSponseller14 February 2005
Miles Massey (George Clooney) is a divorce attorney whose clientele consists primarily of the rich and powerful in the Los Angeles area. He's well known for an "ironclad" prenuptial agreement named after him and also known for taking his clients' spouses to the cleaners. But when he works his magic against Marilyn Rexroth (Catherine Zeta-Jones), he may have picked on the wrong person.
I didn't find Intolerable Cruelty very funny. I might have chuckled a couple times. The dialogue was mostly affected and pretentious to my ears. The story wasn't very interesting to me. I really couldn't get myself to care what happened to Miles or Marilyn. I've liked most of writers/directors Joel and Ethan Coen's previous films, but Intolerable Cruelty seemed to me to have little of the inventiveness and cleverness of their past efforts. I have also liked most of the past films that George Clooney, Billy Bob Thornton and Geoffrey Rush have been in, but here they seemed to be turning in just okay performances for bad material. Heck, I even loved Clooney's turn at Batman (1997's Batman & Robin), Thornton's portrayal of a rocket scientist in Armageddon (1998), and Geoffrey Rush's eccentric millionaire in House on Haunted Hill (1999), but Intolerable Cruelty just didn't work for me.
Still, I can't say the film was a complete failure. I'm giving it a 6 out of 10, which is equivalent to a "D" in my way of looking at ratings. The performances might have been just okay, but they were okay, not awful. The Coens managed some interesting shots, such as Rush through the windshield of his car, where we mostly see a reflection of trees. That was unusual, and effectively conveyed the heat and brightness of a summer day the way a more traditional shot wouldn't have. The opening scene had promise to me. The Wheezy Joe subplot was fun. The slight suggestions of surrealism in Miles' boss were very enjoyable, although on the other hand, I found myself lamenting that surrealism wasn't the focus of the whole film.
Glancing at other reviews, obviously the film worked for some people. Maybe if you're more in the market for a realist drama cum light farce about divorce lawyers, you'd appreciate it more than I did. But for me, it has me rethinking my desire to collect all of the Coen brothers' films on DVD.
I didn't find Intolerable Cruelty very funny. I might have chuckled a couple times. The dialogue was mostly affected and pretentious to my ears. The story wasn't very interesting to me. I really couldn't get myself to care what happened to Miles or Marilyn. I've liked most of writers/directors Joel and Ethan Coen's previous films, but Intolerable Cruelty seemed to me to have little of the inventiveness and cleverness of their past efforts. I have also liked most of the past films that George Clooney, Billy Bob Thornton and Geoffrey Rush have been in, but here they seemed to be turning in just okay performances for bad material. Heck, I even loved Clooney's turn at Batman (1997's Batman & Robin), Thornton's portrayal of a rocket scientist in Armageddon (1998), and Geoffrey Rush's eccentric millionaire in House on Haunted Hill (1999), but Intolerable Cruelty just didn't work for me.
Still, I can't say the film was a complete failure. I'm giving it a 6 out of 10, which is equivalent to a "D" in my way of looking at ratings. The performances might have been just okay, but they were okay, not awful. The Coens managed some interesting shots, such as Rush through the windshield of his car, where we mostly see a reflection of trees. That was unusual, and effectively conveyed the heat and brightness of a summer day the way a more traditional shot wouldn't have. The opening scene had promise to me. The Wheezy Joe subplot was fun. The slight suggestions of surrealism in Miles' boss were very enjoyable, although on the other hand, I found myself lamenting that surrealism wasn't the focus of the whole film.
Glancing at other reviews, obviously the film worked for some people. Maybe if you're more in the market for a realist drama cum light farce about divorce lawyers, you'd appreciate it more than I did. But for me, it has me rethinking my desire to collect all of the Coen brothers' films on DVD.
Perfectly tolerable...even enjoyable!
Poseidon-319 November 2003
Warning: Spoilers
No one in today's Hollywood is going to truly outshine past pairings such as Clark Gable and Joan Crawford, Cary Grant and Grace Kelly or even Rock Hudson and Doris Day. They simply had too much mystique and showbiz magic behind them for the tabloid-ridden stars of today to compete with. However, based on what's out there today, Clooney and Jones make a delicious, gorgeous pair. In this frothy, sometimes manic production, Clooney stars as an ace divorce attorney. So successful is he that he can turn around even the most airtight cases. Yet he has it all and is bored. After he pulls the rug out from under one of his clients' wives (Jones), she sets out to exact revenge upon him. The two play a cat and mouse game of I-got-you and you-got-me, with their actual feelings occasionally rising to the surface. Clooney is charm epitomized. His jaw-dropping good looks are actually beginning to show minor signs of wear (check out his cheek pores in that opening teeth cleaning sequence and note the onset of wrinkles and rasp in the voice -- though he still looks like a god in kind lighting), but thankfully, he's become such a decent actor that he should have no problem continuing a strong career. In this, he is comparable to Cary Grant, who remained attractive right up until his death. Unfortunately, he doesn't have QUITE the skill that Grant had, but he'll do. (Some of the lingo and jargon that Clooney has to emit looks and sounds like it's over his head.) Jones is astonishing. She has, without question, that old time glamour and the finely honed talent to carry her roles. Her face, clothes, hair...everything is stunning. Together, the two are blisteringly attractive and charismatic. The supporting cast is great here with Rush (in a surprisingly tiny role) hamming it up well and Thornton presenting another one of his oddball characterizations. Also of note are Cedric the Entertainer who is less annoying than expected and especially Adelstein as Clooney's adoring, sentimental cohort. (And it's fun to see Duffy get a big screen role which beautifully utilizes her brittle, nose-in-the-air persona.) One of the funniest and most shocking moments in the film comes courtesy of Keyes who plays an asthmatic hit man. The whole film is peppered with odd little characterizations, some funny, some intriguing, some just bizarre. (The diner waitress is hysterical. The hunky pool man is perfect. Clooney's boss is unintelligible and just plain weird.) The film seems to take place in it's own little world, which can sometimes be quite different from the one the rest of the audience lives in. The quirkiness and farcical nature of the film occasionally threaten to cross it over into Zucker brothers territory, but ultimately it keeps it's feet on the ground. A couple of familiar or dull moments can't dampen the spirit of the whole. The stars are deliriously attractive, the story has a few surprises along the way and the film is very easy on the eyes and often entertaining to the ear. There's also a delightful title sequence inspired by vintage Valentine cards.
I like this sort of stuff.
jonjustdied9 August 2005
I have seen this movie about three times, all three as late night HBO flicks. At first, I thought the movie was sort of lame and a little ridiculous, especially for the caliber of actors and actresses in it. But slowly, I began to like it. I was attracted to the, albeit, clichéd opposing relationship between Clooney's character and Zeta-Jones's. I enjoy clichés.
I thought their acting was less...acting, and more of realistic attempts at chemistry.
I liked the story, though I didn't always get the characters' actions and reactions.
Some of the camera work and cinematics were interesting; lighting effects made it almost a dreamy/artsy movie. I liked it in that aspect...the impulsive actions and colorful scenery. I wish it could've been more like that...it might've been better.
I thought their acting was less...acting, and more of realistic attempts at chemistry.
I liked the story, though I didn't always get the characters' actions and reactions.
Some of the camera work and cinematics were interesting; lighting effects made it almost a dreamy/artsy movie. I liked it in that aspect...the impulsive actions and colorful scenery. I wish it could've been more like that...it might've been better.
Love for Sale
urnotdb29 April 2005
"Coenized" story of star divorce lawyer, designer of an "unbeatable" prenuptial agreement. Very good Clooney, Zeta-Jones; like in the famed Sturges/Capra comedies, the entire supporting cast is funny. Like a Mad magazine strip, just about everything is slightly absurd. Every comic opportunity is taken, usually successfully. There's virtually no "filler." I usually try to infer underlying "messages" from movies. The Coen Bros. are about as interested in messages as the Marx Bros. (Clooney had a few Groucho moves here). That may limit their audience. Would this be as funny if we didn't know it was by the Coens or without Clooney/Zeta-Jones? Probably not. Is Zeta-Jones only funny because we know who she is? I don't think so.
Two Thumbs Up.
Rex_Stephens2 August 2004
'Intolerable Cruelty' has panache. Clooney delivers an impressive performance, one of his best that I have seen him in. When a bad movie comes out, it's easy to eat it alive and point out every dumb thing about it. Since this movie had something going, it's hard to point out the good points and why I liked it. Let's just say that 'Intolerable Cruelty' has a story, one that holds up until the movie sells out near the very end. But the acting and the story for one thing, I give credit for, held up quite well.
Miles Massey, successful divorce lawyer, meets his match (and maker), in Marilyn Rexroth a man-eater when, after her failure to win the ex-husband's fortune, goes for the Massey pre-nup in another marriage, to intrigue her opponent.
Two thirds through the movie, everything holds up so nicely. There is wit, charisma, character on the part of Clooney and Mrs. Douglas. The story is perfect and anyone should easily pick up on. The movie is near-perfect ... until towards the end, where wit turns to cheese, charisma goes to blandness, and character goes way to the Hollywood sell-out. I hate movies that don't stay true to themselves, but I can't blame most of this movie or the Coens. It was probably in their best interest all along.
Miles Massey, successful divorce lawyer, meets his match (and maker), in Marilyn Rexroth a man-eater when, after her failure to win the ex-husband's fortune, goes for the Massey pre-nup in another marriage, to intrigue her opponent.
Two thirds through the movie, everything holds up so nicely. There is wit, charisma, character on the part of Clooney and Mrs. Douglas. The story is perfect and anyone should easily pick up on. The movie is near-perfect ... until towards the end, where wit turns to cheese, charisma goes to blandness, and character goes way to the Hollywood sell-out. I hate movies that don't stay true to themselves, but I can't blame most of this movie or the Coens. It was probably in their best interest all along.
Very Tolerable
JoshtheGiant17 November 2005
Intolerable Cruelty is tolerable to say the least without being to good. It is fulled with a predictable plot that is not original, but they make it original and catch you by surprise several times as well as make it hilarious. The story is predictable and all the stuff I already said. The screenplay is pitch perfect wit great characters and witty hilarious dialgue. The acting is very good, George Clooney and Catherine Zeta Jones are both good, but Billy Bob Thornton is amazing, he gives the surprise performance of the movie, we all knew he could do it but when he showed up giving such a great performance when I didn't even know he was in the movie, it kinda surprised me. The direction is very good, almost great. The visual effects are good, they really work but are also sometimes cheesy. The Coens worst movie, but by no means bad.
Cruel Entertainment...
namashi_17 January 2011
Joel and Ethan Coen are Legends. Their range of films speaks in volumes, and in 'Intolerable Cruelty' they prove their stature once again. This Rom-Com has some really entertaining moments, fabulous direction & fantastic performances to give!
'Intolerable Cruelty' is tale of romance, between a ruthless gold-digger and a top-grade attorney. These 2 extreme opposites connect, disconnect and funnily enjoy their lives in here.
Joel and Ethan Coen's Screenplay is oven-fresh and packs in memorable and twisted characters. The writing, especially in the first-hour, is superb. The only shortcoming is it's climax, which doesn't leave an impact. This hiccup could've been worked on, for sure! As far as their direction goes, they are in top-form, like always. Cinematography by Roger Deakins is picture-perfect.
Performance-Wise: George Clooney is fantastic. The Oscar-winning legend, performs with unmatchable ease from beginning to end. Catherine Zeta-Jones looks each bit of a gold-digger and oozes sex appeal. Geoffrey Rush is exceptional in a brief role. Cedric The Entertainer is first-rate. Richard Jenkins leaves a mark, while Billy Bob Thornton gets nothing to do. Edward Herrmann is noticeable.
On the whole, Check out this flick, as it offers Cruel Entertainment! Thumbs Up!
'Intolerable Cruelty' is tale of romance, between a ruthless gold-digger and a top-grade attorney. These 2 extreme opposites connect, disconnect and funnily enjoy their lives in here.
Joel and Ethan Coen's Screenplay is oven-fresh and packs in memorable and twisted characters. The writing, especially in the first-hour, is superb. The only shortcoming is it's climax, which doesn't leave an impact. This hiccup could've been worked on, for sure! As far as their direction goes, they are in top-form, like always. Cinematography by Roger Deakins is picture-perfect.
Performance-Wise: George Clooney is fantastic. The Oscar-winning legend, performs with unmatchable ease from beginning to end. Catherine Zeta-Jones looks each bit of a gold-digger and oozes sex appeal. Geoffrey Rush is exceptional in a brief role. Cedric The Entertainer is first-rate. Richard Jenkins leaves a mark, while Billy Bob Thornton gets nothing to do. Edward Herrmann is noticeable.
On the whole, Check out this flick, as it offers Cruel Entertainment! Thumbs Up!
It should have been titled, "Down With Love"
sexy_superstud22 March 2005
Every time I tell someone that, the reply is always, "Wasn't there already a movie by that title?" Well, that's the whole point of the joke! I will tell you the honest truth, for the first thirty minutes I thought to myself, God, this the most pretentious piece of Hollywood garbage I've ever seen in my life. Yeah, Catherine Zeta-Jones is mighty fine to look at, (most fellas would agree with me on that), and George Clooney's physical beauty is fully visible for all the ladies to drool over, who could ask for anything more? Well, at first I was turned off by the shallow, superficial storyline, but as the evening progressed, so did my interest and attention span. The humor is totally sardonic, and sadomasochistic. Well, I would have given it a thumbs up, had I been Ebert and Roeper.
Well, it's damn beautiful to look at by all accounts, and I would advise anyone to see it for himself, to make one's own decision.
Well, it's damn beautiful to look at by all accounts, and I would advise anyone to see it for himself, to make one's own decision.
Out of Sight collides with War of the Roses, resulting in damp squib in a paper bag.
panicoma-122 April 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Someone should have told the writer-director(s) that Catherine Zeta-Jones is incapable of being cool. As brothers, they should have told each other that the production stank, as must have been evident from the read-through. The casting is is bad as the script which is very bad. Over-the-top acting decorates the whole mess, Clooney may have got away with it in 'O BrotherÂ…', but miscasting like that seldom works more than once for anyone, and besides, he was then acting lines inside real Coensworld.
Bad timing, overlong scenes, no sympathetic main character. You want George and Z-J to end up together, but only inasmuch as then the movie might fade to credits. Incidentally there are times you fear it never will. I'd have switched off at several points, but I couldn't believe they could complete this project without at least one saving grace, well, they couldn't, Billy Bob Thornton comes along to save them just one point as far as I'm concerned. Carter Burwell's beautiful music is desperately out of place. The script is littered with pretentious quotations, as if to remind us that Joel and Ethan did rather well at college. (Did they)? It pains me to write this, as I have championed these two since 'Blood Simple', but it really is a very bad exercise in wastage of studio funds.
I paused for a moment to catch my breath, (badly required so that I might deflate my expectations a little more scene by scene), and momentarily I imagined Melanie Griffith and Kevin Spacey doing this movie. It would perhaps have been better, but oh, those lines would not have improved their prospects for another job!
Even when not playing a bitch, Zeta-Jones exudes heartless shallowness, (evidence: 'The Terminal'), and it seems plain that apart from the initial promise shown in 'The Darling Buds of May', that's all she had. As actor after actor attempts to portray emotional attachment it feels more and more cringworthy. Even the dependable actors are unable to build with such insipid mortar. Nothing hangs together, then here comes Burwell again, calling passionate musical themes reminiscent of Miller's Crossing into scenes devoid of any pulse. I feel in this association he has devalued his own work, is it possible he can turn his beautiful music out at the drop of a bad line without the prime mover of a good, connecting human story? Did he even see the film before writing the original score?
Some Sample dialogue, and believe me, the Coens take credit for this: "You must leave the house because I left the gas main on that leaks", honestly, it's there in the movie, thenÂ… "Whatever they're paying you, I'll pay you double". It goes on and on and on and on forever and eventually dissolves into slapstick like DeNiro doing a bad Jim Carry part. How can you have so many good ingredients and still spoil the dinner? Did Joel and Ethan really see 'Out of Sight' and 'War of the Roses' in the same week and gamble they could just join the two together with a bad glue-job? It takes more than that, at least a hint of screen chemistry. Unbearably bad, intolerable cruelty. O brothersÂ…. Shame on you.
Bad timing, overlong scenes, no sympathetic main character. You want George and Z-J to end up together, but only inasmuch as then the movie might fade to credits. Incidentally there are times you fear it never will. I'd have switched off at several points, but I couldn't believe they could complete this project without at least one saving grace, well, they couldn't, Billy Bob Thornton comes along to save them just one point as far as I'm concerned. Carter Burwell's beautiful music is desperately out of place. The script is littered with pretentious quotations, as if to remind us that Joel and Ethan did rather well at college. (Did they)? It pains me to write this, as I have championed these two since 'Blood Simple', but it really is a very bad exercise in wastage of studio funds.
I paused for a moment to catch my breath, (badly required so that I might deflate my expectations a little more scene by scene), and momentarily I imagined Melanie Griffith and Kevin Spacey doing this movie. It would perhaps have been better, but oh, those lines would not have improved their prospects for another job!
Even when not playing a bitch, Zeta-Jones exudes heartless shallowness, (evidence: 'The Terminal'), and it seems plain that apart from the initial promise shown in 'The Darling Buds of May', that's all she had. As actor after actor attempts to portray emotional attachment it feels more and more cringworthy. Even the dependable actors are unable to build with such insipid mortar. Nothing hangs together, then here comes Burwell again, calling passionate musical themes reminiscent of Miller's Crossing into scenes devoid of any pulse. I feel in this association he has devalued his own work, is it possible he can turn his beautiful music out at the drop of a bad line without the prime mover of a good, connecting human story? Did he even see the film before writing the original score?
Some Sample dialogue, and believe me, the Coens take credit for this: "You must leave the house because I left the gas main on that leaks", honestly, it's there in the movie, thenÂ… "Whatever they're paying you, I'll pay you double". It goes on and on and on and on forever and eventually dissolves into slapstick like DeNiro doing a bad Jim Carry part. How can you have so many good ingredients and still spoil the dinner? Did Joel and Ethan really see 'Out of Sight' and 'War of the Roses' in the same week and gamble they could just join the two together with a bad glue-job? It takes more than that, at least a hint of screen chemistry. Unbearably bad, intolerable cruelty. O brothersÂ…. Shame on you.
Don't miss this because of these other negative comments
mschrock13 March 2004
I wouldn't have commented, except that I read too many reviews that mislead potential movie watchers.
This movie is exactly what it portents to be. A good comedy.
It's not a classic, but well worth your time. You'll enjoy it.
Clooney is excellent, and CZJ is the perfect counterpart. Plenty of recognizable names that seem to enjoy being involved, without the need to have huge billings...
Too bad these other reviewers can't just appreciate a fun movie. Don't pass on this movie, you'll be missing some good entertainment.
This movie is exactly what it portents to be. A good comedy.
It's not a classic, but well worth your time. You'll enjoy it.
Clooney is excellent, and CZJ is the perfect counterpart. Plenty of recognizable names that seem to enjoy being involved, without the need to have huge billings...
Too bad these other reviewers can't just appreciate a fun movie. Don't pass on this movie, you'll be missing some good entertainment.
chicanery flickery
ThurstonHunger25 June 2004
I was betrothed to the Coen brothers at an early age. But while others feel betrayed by them and as of late are screaming for a divorce, I must say I still enjoy our relationship. I should be honest, we have an open marriage...I see other films, um I see a LOT of other films...and I think that's why I still cherish the Coens. When I'm alone with the Coen brothers they still treat me with respect and intelligence.
After watching this movie, scanning the DVD extras was a bit telling. First the Coens basically say they wrote this film for someone else..."take my wife, please" but it sort of boomeranged back to them. For them, and many of us Coen-dependents out there, this script calling for marquee matinée idols at the center pushed their patented oddball characters out to the fringes.
Secondly, on the DVD, there was a segment on the dresses designed for and worn by Catherine Zeta-Jones. Something didn't wash with Ethan and Joel bedecked in (possibly clean) tshirts and jeans trying to pump the importance of the audience waiting for the next costume change. I don't know, I felt like a little Robin Leach was clinging to their backs while they were making those comments.
Thus we wind up with both pretty smiles and prettier outfits pushing our beloved eccentrics further out of the center of the spotlight, and that's why I think people are unhappy with this film. I mean, Jeezy Peezy, a character named Wheezy Joe gets canonized in these reviews, but come on...we'd like anyone named Wheezy So-and-So. Maybe the Zeets should have demanded her character be called Wheezy Marilyn.
If only. Her character is so defined by cold calculation, that I think it undermines the chemistry between herself and Clooney. I also think that keeps this from being one of those true screwball romantic comedies. Where's the scene where she puts her hair up in curlers and let's down her guard...spills a little mirth on her expensive dress?? She insures that we are never laughing at her, by never letting us laugh when she's on screen.
Perhaps the Coens wanted to keep her assured and desirable, and then let Clooney got looney for her. The "You fascinate me" scene I think will fall flat for some folks, though for its quirkiness I liked it. But it was another instance wherein I felt like he was doing all the work in their relationship, and in this film.
But back to the weirdos for a moment, Billy Bob's initial cameo forced me to stop and rewind the scene (when he first meets Clooney's Miles Massey). Very funny, more ramble-on humor in films please. And less toilet plungers. For over the top, Jonathan Hadary's Heinz poured it on pretty thick. But again, I lapped it up, being so hungry for the peculiar.
All that being said, this surely isn't a mainstream movie. I enjoyed it, and trust me tales of the rich and fatuous usually have a strike against them for me. This story of a gold-digger on the silver-screen, garners at least a bronze from me.
7/10
PS If you are still pining away for the infatuation phase of your own relationship with the Coens, I'd strongly advise you to track down Ethan's book-on-tape, "Gates of Eden." For crying out loud it's got Steve Buscemi reading one of the hardboiled, well-oiled tales. Need I say more?!?
After watching this movie, scanning the DVD extras was a bit telling. First the Coens basically say they wrote this film for someone else..."take my wife, please" but it sort of boomeranged back to them. For them, and many of us Coen-dependents out there, this script calling for marquee matinée idols at the center pushed their patented oddball characters out to the fringes.
Secondly, on the DVD, there was a segment on the dresses designed for and worn by Catherine Zeta-Jones. Something didn't wash with Ethan and Joel bedecked in (possibly clean) tshirts and jeans trying to pump the importance of the audience waiting for the next costume change. I don't know, I felt like a little Robin Leach was clinging to their backs while they were making those comments.
Thus we wind up with both pretty smiles and prettier outfits pushing our beloved eccentrics further out of the center of the spotlight, and that's why I think people are unhappy with this film. I mean, Jeezy Peezy, a character named Wheezy Joe gets canonized in these reviews, but come on...we'd like anyone named Wheezy So-and-So. Maybe the Zeets should have demanded her character be called Wheezy Marilyn.
If only. Her character is so defined by cold calculation, that I think it undermines the chemistry between herself and Clooney. I also think that keeps this from being one of those true screwball romantic comedies. Where's the scene where she puts her hair up in curlers and let's down her guard...spills a little mirth on her expensive dress?? She insures that we are never laughing at her, by never letting us laugh when she's on screen.
Perhaps the Coens wanted to keep her assured and desirable, and then let Clooney got looney for her. The "You fascinate me" scene I think will fall flat for some folks, though for its quirkiness I liked it. But it was another instance wherein I felt like he was doing all the work in their relationship, and in this film.
But back to the weirdos for a moment, Billy Bob's initial cameo forced me to stop and rewind the scene (when he first meets Clooney's Miles Massey). Very funny, more ramble-on humor in films please. And less toilet plungers. For over the top, Jonathan Hadary's Heinz poured it on pretty thick. But again, I lapped it up, being so hungry for the peculiar.
All that being said, this surely isn't a mainstream movie. I enjoyed it, and trust me tales of the rich and fatuous usually have a strike against them for me. This story of a gold-digger on the silver-screen, garners at least a bronze from me.
7/10
PS If you are still pining away for the infatuation phase of your own relationship with the Coens, I'd strongly advise you to track down Ethan's book-on-tape, "Gates of Eden." For crying out loud it's got Steve Buscemi reading one of the hardboiled, well-oiled tales. Need I say more?!?
Great creative, thinking Directors such as Rossellini, Fellini..even the dogged Communist Bertolucci would weep at this crass infantile junk product..
ebbage20 November 2020
Sane film buffs will truly despair at Yet more Hollywood Instant garbage ! Depressed at how far the depths of Hollywood's perpetual barren repetitive cycle of overpriced Pigs are embellished by Snake Oil hustlers..especially highly politicised & Propagandising stalwarts such as Clooney..Taking the Knee George ? Pathetic.
Not intolerable, but
warnerclassic29 October 2004
George Clooney stars as a self-loving whiter than white toothed lawyer who is becoming bored with his never-ending success. A challenge comes in the shapely form of Marilyn Rexroth (Catherine Zeta Jones) who wants to marry (or preferably divorce) her way to riches. With Clooney hired to represent her soon to be ex husband, he inevitably falls for the gold diggers charms.
Directed by the Coen brothers, a directorial team who have helmed oddball comedies such as 'Fargo' and 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?' this is the team's first branch in to a high profile Hollywood film. Clooney, as the sharp suited lawyer, is excellent. Like Cary Grant or David Niven, Clooney is able to mock himself without compensating his screen appeal. Catherine Zeta Jones as the money hungry Marilyn is as sexy as her character demands from the scripted page. However, despite the quick fire dialogue, Intolerable Cruelty is simply not as funny as it thinks, it's cynical message of love and money taking away the romantic push it needs to place it in the league of the Tracy/Hepburn films the movie aspires to. Clooney's character also suffers from an over enthusiastic plot that later drives his character to attempt to commit a crime that totally contradicts the audiences perception of him. A battle of the sexes comedy that has sex appeal but no romance, Intolerable Cruelty is a film that reaches for the golden age of Hollywood but only touches the bronze.
Directed by the Coen brothers, a directorial team who have helmed oddball comedies such as 'Fargo' and 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?' this is the team's first branch in to a high profile Hollywood film. Clooney, as the sharp suited lawyer, is excellent. Like Cary Grant or David Niven, Clooney is able to mock himself without compensating his screen appeal. Catherine Zeta Jones as the money hungry Marilyn is as sexy as her character demands from the scripted page. However, despite the quick fire dialogue, Intolerable Cruelty is simply not as funny as it thinks, it's cynical message of love and money taking away the romantic push it needs to place it in the league of the Tracy/Hepburn films the movie aspires to. Clooney's character also suffers from an over enthusiastic plot that later drives his character to attempt to commit a crime that totally contradicts the audiences perception of him. A battle of the sexes comedy that has sex appeal but no romance, Intolerable Cruelty is a film that reaches for the golden age of Hollywood but only touches the bronze.
Take movies for what they are worth...
chasman995 May 2004
To read reviews of movies one must separate the two different styles. The first being people who dissect each aspect of a movie, from production, to cast, to lighting to just about anything to find fault in a film. And to compare one film with another previous film an actor/producer/director did is really useless. Then there are the others, whose only goal is to help you decide if the movie was entertaining or not.
Intolerable Cruelty was good movie. Was it great? Heck no, but most films nowadays are not great. The concept was basic enough, divorce attorney gets taken by a gold digger, and it had the potential to do it in a very cliché way. That was not the case with this film.
George Clooney was fantastic. I find myself enjoying all of his movies and realizing he's actually a pretty good actor. Much the same as I had to get over the `he's just a pretty boy' feeling about Tom Cruise. His character is so self-absorbed that even people around him don't notice much. He wins without effort, he has all the money he desires and is so bored he tears down his house, buys cars and has dental work done just to make life exciting. He needs a challenge outside the ordinary, an ability to completely destroy someone. Enter CZJ.
Catherine Zeta Jones was basically herself, window dressing in tight clothes. She isn't stretched too greatly for acting, but she doesn't need to be. She's a mean conniving woman who wants to get things done the easy way. She accomplishes this initially until Clooney gets her ex off the hook. She's lost, until her desires turn to Clooney and destroying him. Their infatuation with one another is sort of like one predator valuing the others ability to devour prey. Clooney is far more convincing in his `smitten' attitude, but the job is done nonetheless.
The story was very quirky and the side players were excellent. Wheezy Joe was a strange yet enjoyable diversion, mostly because his very ailment would make it impossible to do his job, yet they don't out and out say that. You are allowed to decide these things fro yourself. Billy Bob Thornton was fantastic, ever so briefly.
What happens is that you get a very odd twist on a stale storyline and yes, a decidedly obvious ending. But along the way I found myself declaring, `This movie is really strange' but liking it just the same. Is it great? No. But movies rarely are
Intolerable Cruelty was good movie. Was it great? Heck no, but most films nowadays are not great. The concept was basic enough, divorce attorney gets taken by a gold digger, and it had the potential to do it in a very cliché way. That was not the case with this film.
George Clooney was fantastic. I find myself enjoying all of his movies and realizing he's actually a pretty good actor. Much the same as I had to get over the `he's just a pretty boy' feeling about Tom Cruise. His character is so self-absorbed that even people around him don't notice much. He wins without effort, he has all the money he desires and is so bored he tears down his house, buys cars and has dental work done just to make life exciting. He needs a challenge outside the ordinary, an ability to completely destroy someone. Enter CZJ.
Catherine Zeta Jones was basically herself, window dressing in tight clothes. She isn't stretched too greatly for acting, but she doesn't need to be. She's a mean conniving woman who wants to get things done the easy way. She accomplishes this initially until Clooney gets her ex off the hook. She's lost, until her desires turn to Clooney and destroying him. Their infatuation with one another is sort of like one predator valuing the others ability to devour prey. Clooney is far more convincing in his `smitten' attitude, but the job is done nonetheless.
The story was very quirky and the side players were excellent. Wheezy Joe was a strange yet enjoyable diversion, mostly because his very ailment would make it impossible to do his job, yet they don't out and out say that. You are allowed to decide these things fro yourself. Billy Bob Thornton was fantastic, ever so briefly.
What happens is that you get a very odd twist on a stale storyline and yes, a decidedly obvious ending. But along the way I found myself declaring, `This movie is really strange' but liking it just the same. Is it great? No. But movies rarely are
Surprisingly Tolerable
dunmore_ego21 November 2005
Warning: Spoilers
George Clooney hasn't been this funny since he was Batman.
Playing smitten lawyer Miles Massey with the graceful aplomb of a suave Jerry Lewis, Clooney takes his pretty-boy image on a fringe journey of impeccable comedic exactitude, pursuing gold-digging ice-queen, Marilyn (Catherine Zeta-Jones playing her usual arrogant C-Word to the hilt).
Eschewing "romantic comedy" cliché (Cary Grant's 40s and 50s farces have a lot to answer for, as the progenitors of the genre), Miles seeks not Disney-flavored, unconditional "love", but a covenant with a like-minded sociopath. Initially, his incongruously hilarious line, "You… fascinate me!" issues from a mindset we cannot divine, but as Miles and Marilyn maneuver around each other's fortunes and pre-nuptial contracts, we realize that he is seeing his own ruthless, capitalistic reflection in her – and wants a piece of it.
With savagely comedic interjections by Billy Bob Thornton as a talkative cowboy oil baron, Jonathan Hadary as Concierge Baron Krauss von Espy, and with Clooney's piston-popping dialog delivery and a visual sheen lifted straight from Soderbergh's "Ocean's Twelve" (demonstrating how great an influence an Art Director's hand plays - in this case, Tony Fanning's on both films), "Intolerable Cruelty" is a black, shamelessly flamboyant gem.
For us to ever laugh this hard at George Clooney again, he'll have to make another intolerable "Batman".
(Movie Maniacs, visit: www.poffysmoviemania.com)
Playing smitten lawyer Miles Massey with the graceful aplomb of a suave Jerry Lewis, Clooney takes his pretty-boy image on a fringe journey of impeccable comedic exactitude, pursuing gold-digging ice-queen, Marilyn (Catherine Zeta-Jones playing her usual arrogant C-Word to the hilt).
Eschewing "romantic comedy" cliché (Cary Grant's 40s and 50s farces have a lot to answer for, as the progenitors of the genre), Miles seeks not Disney-flavored, unconditional "love", but a covenant with a like-minded sociopath. Initially, his incongruously hilarious line, "You… fascinate me!" issues from a mindset we cannot divine, but as Miles and Marilyn maneuver around each other's fortunes and pre-nuptial contracts, we realize that he is seeing his own ruthless, capitalistic reflection in her – and wants a piece of it.
With savagely comedic interjections by Billy Bob Thornton as a talkative cowboy oil baron, Jonathan Hadary as Concierge Baron Krauss von Espy, and with Clooney's piston-popping dialog delivery and a visual sheen lifted straight from Soderbergh's "Ocean's Twelve" (demonstrating how great an influence an Art Director's hand plays - in this case, Tony Fanning's on both films), "Intolerable Cruelty" is a black, shamelessly flamboyant gem.
For us to ever laugh this hard at George Clooney again, he'll have to make another intolerable "Batman".
(Movie Maniacs, visit: www.poffysmoviemania.com)
Funny and smart
udeaasykle27 February 2004
George Clooney reminds me of the role he played in O' Brother, where art thou. A little nervous in some situations and a lot scared in others. But i really liked this movie. Then again i have always loved the Cohen brother's movies. My favorite part is of course when i noticed that Bruce Campbell had a cameo. Catherine Zeta-Jones plays the role of a money hungry gold digger, going through men like underwear. George plays a divorce lawyer who falls head over heels for Catherine. But who will trick who. Can you really trust a lawyer? And can you trust a woman who marries men just to divorce them and get half? Although it is not difficult to know what is going to happen, the road up to that point is very entertaining.
A romantic comedy with a twist. I give this movie a 7.
A romantic comedy with a twist. I give this movie a 7.
This is an entertaining comedy with no surprises but fun viewing.
clsxmas2 November 2003
The plotline of this movie requires a bit of a stretch in one's imagination with respect to the change in the heroine's pattern of gold-digging behavior. But with these beautiful characters it doesn't seem to matter. It was an entertaining comedy.
Enjoyable
herbandpatti13 January 2006
I enjoyed Intolerable Cruelty a lot, even with various people torturing Simon and Garfunkel songs throughout. Actually, "Bridge Over Troubled Water" on bagpipes wasn't too bad. The alliterative names were distracting, Miles Massey, Sarah Sorkin, Donovan Donaly, etc. There are more. Don't bother watching the extra features on the DVD. They are not only sparse, but irritating as well. George Clooney, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Geoffrey Rush turned in fine performances, and Paul Adelstein was delightful as Wrigley. Come to think of it, he was kind of wrigglyÂ…. I was surprised to see Rush in a supporting role, and more surprised to hear him sing. Oh, by the way, the subtitles/closed-captions made a mistake on the second line of "April Come She Will." Can't tell I'm a Simon and Garfunkel fan, can you? This was an enjoyable farce, and worth the time.
Casting, casting, casting...!
Skriptman19 August 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Not a bad romantic-comedy, but doesn't come near the level of charm, sophistication and believability as those old Cary Grant-style bedroom farces because, in my opinion, it's badly cast. Both Clooney and Zeta-Jones, while usually more than competent, seem to struggle with the tone of the piece. Clooney overacts like crazy - mugging and emoting and obviously playing it for laughs... but as we all know, great comedy seldom advertises itself. Chaplin, Keaton -- even Cary Grant for that matter -- never seemed to be saying, hey, look at me, I'm being funny! I just wanted Clooney to tone it down a bit, make me feel his angst, his frustration at having everything except the most important thing of all.
Zeta-Jones had a particularly difficult challenge -- to make a very unlikeable gold-digger somehow seem vulnerable, empathetic and sweet. The script didn't help, giving her little to play with -- and, ultimately, you just couldn't understand why Miles Massey (Clooney) would fall head-over-heels for someone who was as personable and charming as a cardboard cutout.
...Still, it was nice to see the Coens do something decidedly so un-Coenlike.
Zeta-Jones had a particularly difficult challenge -- to make a very unlikeable gold-digger somehow seem vulnerable, empathetic and sweet. The script didn't help, giving her little to play with -- and, ultimately, you just couldn't understand why Miles Massey (Clooney) would fall head-over-heels for someone who was as personable and charming as a cardboard cutout.
...Still, it was nice to see the Coens do something decidedly so un-Coenlike.
Coen brothers can't make me like divorce lawyers
SnoopyStyle14 September 2013
Miles Massey (George Clooney) is a tough L.A. divorce attorney, and he destroys Marylin Rexroth (Catherine Zeta-Jones) in her divorce with Rex Rexroth, a wealthy real estate developer and habitual philanderer. Marylin schemes to get even. First she quickly marries oil tycoon Howard Doyle. Then she makes Miles fall for her. Only it's all part of her scheme.
The Coen brothers try to give L.A. divorce lawyers the Coen treatment. The crazy Coen style is in evidence here. The fast-talking dialog is dense, but doesn't flow. The mannerisms are exaggerated without the humorous effects. The biggest problem is that divorce lawyers aren't funny, and even the Coen brothers can't make them so. Not just the lawyers, everybody is disgusting, scheming, sleazy, money grubbing lowlifes. They're just more beautiful while doing it. I don't care about anybody or anything in this movie. I don't care about Miles, and I don't care if Miles get taken, and I don't care if Miles is truly in love.
The Coen brothers try to give L.A. divorce lawyers the Coen treatment. The crazy Coen style is in evidence here. The fast-talking dialog is dense, but doesn't flow. The mannerisms are exaggerated without the humorous effects. The biggest problem is that divorce lawyers aren't funny, and even the Coen brothers can't make them so. Not just the lawyers, everybody is disgusting, scheming, sleazy, money grubbing lowlifes. They're just more beautiful while doing it. I don't care about anybody or anything in this movie. I don't care about Miles, and I don't care if Miles get taken, and I don't care if Miles is truly in love.
One of Clooney's Best Performances
Isaac585524 August 2006
A surprisingly smart comedy from Joel and Ethan Cohen, INTOLERABLE CRUELTY is a deft and entertaining comedy about the relationship that develops between a fast talking attorney (George Clooney) and a man-eating gold digger (Catherine Zeta-Jones)who pretty much eats husbands for lunch. This delightful throwback to the Tracy-Hepburn, Grant-Russell comedies of the 30's and 40's moves at a nice pace and is anchored by a razor sharp performance by Clooney, who has rarely been more appealing on screen. Clooney does everything right here and his performance alone makes this film worth seeing, but Zeta-Jones never allows herself to be overshadowed by him in one of her more venomous characterizations. Worthwhile bits are also contributed by Geoffrey Rush, Billy Bob Thornton, Richard Jenkins, and Edward Herrmann. One of the most underrated comedies ever made which is a definite must-see for Clooney fans.
The weakest of the Coen brothers' films I've seen, though it's not all on their end to blame
Quinoa198411 October 2003
Warning: Spoilers
Intolerable Cruelty was a film that didn't originate with the Coen brothers. Unlike such masterpieces as Blood Simple and Fargo, and even theatrical sleepers like The Man Who Wasn't There and The Big Lebowski, this was a film in all likely-hood offered to them from producer Brian Grazer and from a story by Matthew Stone and Robert Ramsey (of EdTV fame if you're wondering who they are). Indeed, this is the first time a Coen brothers film (with a possible exception being O Brother Where Art Thou, which also starred George Clooney) looks 'big' bucks.
There are signs in the story of why Joel and Ethan Coen would want to make this movie, since it has an intriguing idea that runs along their sense of sly/cleverness. Miles Massey (Clooney, showing off his teeth) is a marriage lawyer who's risen to fame among his ranks for win after win, and a pre-nup named after him that's impenetrable. Enter Rex Rexroth (Edward Hermann), who has been caught on camera in a scene of infidelity, and still wants to get away without giving her anything in divorce court. His wife is the icy, gorgeous Marilyn (Catherine Zeta-Jones in a performance within a performance), who through the course of the film has a few tricks up her sleeve, which impresses Miles enough to start falling in love with her. This, even as she plans to re-marry after her divorce to an oil tycoon (Billy Bob Thornton, who gives a small role that should've had more to it).
I wouldn't consider Intolerable Cruelty to be a perpetually bad film, in fact there were a few of characters of note that brought out belly laughs from me: Geoffrey Rush shows off his acting chops in the opening scene, and two bit parts for Jonathan Hadary as Heinz, the Baron Krauss von Espy, and Irwin Keyes as Wheezy Joe, reminded me what irreverent and uproarious spirit the Coens bring to their films. However, a lot of the film is filled mostly with dialog, though clever, that probably looked funnier on paper - the performances by the stars mean well, but a lot of times the combination of the acting and writing is dry. Do Clooney and Zeta-Jones have chemistry, yes, but when a story like this is this obvious it blocks real interest in these characters, who for at least half of the film are shallow amidst the romantic/black comedy. C+
There are signs in the story of why Joel and Ethan Coen would want to make this movie, since it has an intriguing idea that runs along their sense of sly/cleverness. Miles Massey (Clooney, showing off his teeth) is a marriage lawyer who's risen to fame among his ranks for win after win, and a pre-nup named after him that's impenetrable. Enter Rex Rexroth (Edward Hermann), who has been caught on camera in a scene of infidelity, and still wants to get away without giving her anything in divorce court. His wife is the icy, gorgeous Marilyn (Catherine Zeta-Jones in a performance within a performance), who through the course of the film has a few tricks up her sleeve, which impresses Miles enough to start falling in love with her. This, even as she plans to re-marry after her divorce to an oil tycoon (Billy Bob Thornton, who gives a small role that should've had more to it).
I wouldn't consider Intolerable Cruelty to be a perpetually bad film, in fact there were a few of characters of note that brought out belly laughs from me: Geoffrey Rush shows off his acting chops in the opening scene, and two bit parts for Jonathan Hadary as Heinz, the Baron Krauss von Espy, and Irwin Keyes as Wheezy Joe, reminded me what irreverent and uproarious spirit the Coens bring to their films. However, a lot of the film is filled mostly with dialog, though clever, that probably looked funnier on paper - the performances by the stars mean well, but a lot of times the combination of the acting and writing is dry. Do Clooney and Zeta-Jones have chemistry, yes, but when a story like this is this obvious it blocks real interest in these characters, who for at least half of the film are shallow amidst the romantic/black comedy. C+
A terrible waste of time and talent
alexandruburda11 October 2020
I decided to watch this movie in my home cinema and thus give myself a relaxing and funny Sunday evening. What a disappointment!
This movie is a pretence of a comedy (or parody of a comedy) and an atrocious waste of Zeta-Jones' beauty and Clooney's talent. I did not even understand why did they took part in this. Zeta-Jones is kind of managing it (her role helped her) but Clooney is...I really want to forget seeing him in this...thing. 😬
So if You think about seeing this movie, forget it. Watch the trailer, admire Zeta and move on to something else or another movie.
3 stars for the Zeta-Jones and Clooney. And nothing more than that.
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