Intolerable Cruelty (2003)

A beautiful gold digger matches wits with a shrewd Beverly Hills divorce lawyer who is increasingly attracted to her.

Directors:

Joel Coen, Ethan Coen (uncredited)

Writers:

Robert Ramsey (story), Matthew Stone (story)

Stars:

George Clooney, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Billy Bob Thornton

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
George Clooney	...	Miles
Catherine Zeta-Jones	...	Marylin
Geoffrey Rush	...	Donovan Donaly
Cedric the Entertainer	...	Gus Petch
Edward Herrmann	...	Rex Rexroth
Paul Adelstein	...	Wrigley
Richard Jenkins	...	Freddy Bender
Billy Bob Thornton	...	Howard D. Doyle
Julia Duffy	...	Sarah Sorkin
Jonathan Hadary	...	Heinz, the Baron Krauss von Espy
Tom Aldredge	...	Herb Myerson
Stacey Travis	...	Bonnie Donaly
Jack Kyle	...	Ollie Olerud
Irwin Keyes	...	Wheezy Joe
Judith Drake	...	Mrs. Gutman

Storyline

Miles Massey, a prominent Los Angeles divorce attorney has everything--and in some cases, two of everything. Despite his impressive client list, a formidable win record, the respect of his peers and an ironclad contract (the Massey pre-nup) named after him, he's reached a crossroads in his life. Sated on success, boredom has set in and he's looking for new challenges. All that changes when Miles meets his match in the devastating Marylin Rexroth. Marylin is the soon-to-be ex-wife of his client Rex Rexroth, a wealthy real estate developer and habitual philanderer. With the help of hard charging private investigator Gus Petch, she has Rex nailed and is looking forward to the financial independence a successful divorce will bring. But thanks to Miles' considerable skills, she ends up with nothing. Not to be outdone, Marylin schemes to get even and as part of her plan, quickly marries oil tycoon Howard Doyle. Miles and his unflappable associate, Wrigley, unwittingly dig themselves in ...

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Plot Keywords:

reference to henry viii | woman wears eyeglasses | deception | neo screwball comedy | strong female character | 

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Taglines:

They can't keep their hands off each others assets.

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sexual content, language and brief violence

Details

Official Sites:

Official Site U.I.P. France [France]

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

10 October 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Intolerable

Filming Locations:

L'Orangerie - 903 North La Cienega Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$60,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$12,525,075, 12 October 2003

Gross USA:

$35,327,628

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$119,898,783

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment, Alphaville Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS (8 channels)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The concierge's dog, a Pomeranian, is named Elzbieta. Elzbieta (Elizabeth) of Pomerania was the fourth wife of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, and the mother of Anne of Bohemia, who was Queen Consort of King Richard II of England.

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Goofs

Much of the film's plot is driven by inaccurate representations of California divorce law. Under the community property theory, factors like infidelity are virtually irrelevant to the distribution of property upon divorce.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Donovan Donaly: [singing] I'm just a poor boy, though my story's seldom told.

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Crazy Credits

Adios SEÑOR GREAZER. Hello MISTER HAND.

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Connections

Featured in The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Kate McKinnon/John Cena/Mac DeMarco (2017)

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Soundtracks

The Glory of Love
(1926)
Written by Billy Hill
Performed by Big Bill Broonzy
Courtesy of Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

User Reviews

A Hilarious Film Gone Over Many Heads

I saw this film after delaying for months due to poor reviews by critics and people on IMDb. I'm sorry I delayed, no matter how you rank the films, the Coen Brothers can never go wrong.

Sure it doesn't have as many gags as their previous films, there isn't a hoard of eccentric characters and the camera doesn't take on as much an obvious role in the film. But if you can pay attention you will actually find yourself laughing hysterically all throughout.

It's not slapstick, it's a dark, comedic take on a subject that is taboo with the majority of the population. If you want something with the same premise but tries too hard to be funny go rent "Heartbreakers" with Jennifer Love Hewitt.

But I would advise you to rent this film, and if you already have but didn't like it, rent it again, pay attention, look at the subtleties and laugh, dangit!

I give this film a 31/2 out of 4 Stars!