Intolerable Cruelty (2003)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Steven C

  
  Sometimes filmmakers just want to have fun and make a movie, and that's all The Coen Brothers are really doing here. "Intolerable Cruelty" is light, farcical comedy. The satire feels contrite but it's the dialogue and wacky performances from the game cast (namely… More
  Sometimes filmmakers just want to have fun and make a movie, and that's all The Coen Brothers are really doing here. "Intolerable Cruelty" is light, farcical comedy. The satire feels contrite but it's the dialogue and wacky performances from the game cast (namely Clooney and Zeta-Jones) that make a viewing worthwhile. Marginally better than "Burn After Reading" for having just a tad more substance but "Intolerable Cruelty" is still one of the Coen's lesser works.

• Brad W

  
  Not as funny as i'd hoped, but still was a very solid movie with a good plot and characters.

• Kase V

  
  Mainstream Coen Brothers comedy isn't their best, but it's still pretty funny. Clooney is hilarious in this, and the rest of the cast stands out too (thortan). Not the best plot, and I wish the Coen Bros went a little riskier. Still a pretty fun watch.

• Spencer S

  
  Very funny, romantic, and full of high stakes, blithely clumsy action, another Coen collaboration goes off without a hitch. Between the alluring Zeta Jones and the always dashing and perfectly cast Clooney, there is instant elligibility for a perfect film.

• Anthony L

  
  Known as the Coen's first commercial film, which isn't entirely accurate. It certainly didn't have the same feel though, and it certainly wasn't up to their usual standards. That said, it really wasn't as bad as everyone said, the chemistry between Zeta-Jones… More
  Known as the Coen's first commercial film, which isn't entirely accurate. It certainly didn't have the same feel though, and it certainly wasn't up to their usual standards. That said, it really wasn't as bad as everyone said, the chemistry between Zeta-Jones and Clooney is electric and the script is actually one of the brothers finest. Don't write it off, its still a pretty decent film!

• danny d

  
  although this film is a bit more panned than most coen films, i dont feel that the criticisms are deserved. this is definitely not a run of the mill romantic comedy. it was phenomenally well written, well shot by deakins, and well performed by each of the actors. a worth while… More
  although this film is a bit more panned than most coen films, i dont feel that the criticisms are deserved. this is definitely not a run of the mill romantic comedy. it was phenomenally well written, well shot by deakins, and well performed by each of the actors. a worth while film.

• Candy R

  
  Funny comedy about a divorce lawyer falling for a gold digger. Great chemistry between George and Catherine. George is brilliant at the slapstick comedy. Billy Bob Thorton was good.

• Jani H

  
  "Your husband had told me you were the most beautiful woman he'd ever met. I didn't expect the most beautiful woman I'd ever met." The Coen brothers have made several successful movies throughout their career but sadly some seriously bad films also include in… More
  "Your husband had told me you were the most beautiful woman he'd ever met. I didn't expect the most beautiful woman I'd ever met." The Coen brothers have made several successful movies throughout their career but sadly some seriously bad films also include in their filmography. 'Intolerable Cruelty' may just be the worst of 'em. The film details advertise this film as a romantic comedy. Ok, romance is sometimes nice to look at but I just can't find it here. This film has nothing to do with romance. All I see here are shallow fortune hunters, both sexes represented. I find it hard to understand why would George Clooney's character Miles Massey, the successful divorce lawyer, fall in love with Catherina Zeta-Jones' maneater, Marilyn Rexroth. The film does include some entertaining scenes, but the fun of 'em are instantly deleted when the film focuses again on the lame main story. The plot is simply so stupid and incredible that I found it hard to find anything that resembles Coen brothers other works. But like I said, some scenes and dialogue will surely give a smile on your face. I did enjoy some of the actors performances. George Clooney again proves his comedic talents, that we saw for example in 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?', another Coen bros film from 2000. His performance saves this film from being a total waste of time. Billy Bob Thornton, who does a short appearance as one of Marilyn's "victims", steals every scene he is in. And of course Paul Adelstein (Prison Break) as Miles co-worker, Wrigley should be mentioned. He causes the funniest moment in the film, the diner scene where he tries to order a salad from a snappy waitress. Intolerable is the right word to explain this movie. It's difficult to understand, as a fan of Coen's work, why they decided to make this film. The film was followed by 'The Ladykillers', yet another lame attempt for a comedy, so I like to think that they decided to do 2 poor films, just to bring some bread to the table, while writing their future masterpiece, 'No Country For Old Men', the film where they returned to the genre they master... Crime.

• Chris W

  
  I am giving this a recommendation, but a minor one. The movie is uneven, and the script is quite weak, but the movie, like all Coen Bros. films, is still interesting, no matter how many flaws exist within. It is a quirky take on the screwball comedies of the 1930's/40's, and… More
  I am giving this a recommendation, but a minor one. The movie is uneven, and the script is quite weak, but the movie, like all Coen Bros. films, is still interesting, no matter how many flaws exist within. It is a quirky take on the screwball comedies of the 1930's/40's, and there are some great moments within, along with some fine performances, but until I give it a repeat viewings, it's getting, as I said, a recommendation from me, but not a strong one. HAd it held my attention a little more, than perhaps it would have earned another half a star.

• Justin Y

  
  I want to give props to the Coens for actually taking on various genres with their films. While we are on the subject of genres, romance is not one of my favorites, but the Coens actually do something decent with this picture. Unfortunately, it is still a disappointing movie from… More
  I want to give props to the Coens for actually taking on various genres with their films. While we are on the subject of genres, romance is not one of my favorites, but the Coens actually do something decent with this picture. Unfortunately, it is still a disappointing movie from them.<p>The plot is not your typical touchy feely dramatic love story, although there is a little bit of that in the middle. Instead there is a revenge concept flowing throughout the picture and that sounds more like something the Coens can work with. The first hour does have its wacky moments, but just not enough of them. Luckily, the last 20-25 minutes turn into what the title suggests, "Intolerable Cruelty." Is it enough to save the movie? No. It just takes too long to get to the fun, unless you like romantic films.</p><p>The acting is quite entertaining. George Clooney is a little over the top and Cedric the Entertainer has a nice role. Catherine Zeta-Jones isn't all that impressive, but she is d*** beautiful. The one thing about this film is that the characters aren't highly memorable, with the exception of Clooney and Zeta-Jones, who hog all the airtime. The supporting cast of Richard Jenkins, Cedric the Entertainer, Geoffrey Rush, Ed Hermann, and Billy Bob Thornton are all forgettable by the end of the credits.</p><p><i>Intolerable Cruelty</i> is not a bad movie. It is just a movie that the Coens don't do enough with. This is a good watch if you like romantic comedies and only a decent watch if you like films from the Coens.

• Al S

  
  An outragiously hilarious comedy, the only way The Coen Brothers can do it. A real good time. This film is nothing fun from begining to end. George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones are teriffically funny and delightful. Also a great supporting cast that brings on more entertaining… More
  An outragiously hilarious comedy, the only way The Coen Brothers can do it. A real good time. This film is nothing fun from begining to end. George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones are teriffically funny and delightful. Also a great supporting cast that brings on more entertaining laughs you cant get enough of.

• Pierluigi P

  
  Not hysterically funny, nor too clever. but considerably enjoyable modern day screwball comedy.

• Dean L

  
  Can you deal with the Coen Brothers hitting the mainstream? If "yes," you will like this movie. If "no," stay away from it. It has a lot of the trademark Coen oddities in characters, dialogue, wit, and dark, biting humor, but it moves into a realm left relatively… More
  Can you deal with the Coen Brothers hitting the mainstream? If "yes," you will like this movie. If "no," stay away from it. It has a lot of the trademark Coen oddities in characters, dialogue, wit, and dark, biting humor, but it moves into a realm left relatively untouched by the Coen's by introducing more elements of the traditional "romantic comedy" than seen in their previous works. Not to mention the casting of high profile stars (though I seem to remember a film of theirs starring Holly Hunter and Nicholas Cage...hmmm) and some transparency in plotline. That being said...I liked the film. It was one that I had no expectations of and found myself having fun watching it. If you want a straight up Coen Brothers original this won't be the movie for you. If you want a romantic comedy that has obviously been crafted by the masters and are willing to let some things go with regards to style points...you'll really enjoy this movie.

• Dean !

  
  A pretty good rom-com with a twist. Mainly about divorce proceedings!

• Jennifer X

  
  honestly should be lower-ranked, but the ideas were SO cute and clever (albeit not executed well) that i gave it an extra half star. ending was very fake, but some great moments. (puffy vonesby)

• Stuart B

  
  Good comedy with some amusing twists

• Leigh R

  
  Funny.

• Michael G

  
  This movie is like a bag of burned popcorn with a few silver dollars hidden inside.

• Jens S

  
  What happened to the old Coen brothers days? This is nowhere as funny as Raising Arizona for example, although Clooney is trying really hard. The script just isn't much to write home about. At least the end is somewhat amusing and Zeta-Jones looks pretty.

• Nate Z

  
  [center][font=Arial][color=darkred][img]http://img453.imageshack.us/img453/3212/photo055bs.jpg[/img][/color][/font][/center] [font=Arial][color=darkred][/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Miles Massey (George Clooney) is the preeminent divorce attorney in Los Angeles. But… More
  [center][font=Arial][color=darkred][img]http://img453.imageshack.us/img453/3212/photo055bs.jpg[/img][/color][/font][/center] [font=Arial][color=darkred][/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Miles Massey (George Clooney) is the preeminent divorce attorney in Los Angeles. But after years of bankrupting homes after people have broken them (this allusion may be too tricky), he’s grown tired of the same old same old. Enter Marilyn Roxroth (Catherine Zeta-Jones), a conniving gold digger who has been ruined by Massey defending her dimwitted hubby (Edward Herrmann). Now she’s out for revenge, which could be in the form of romancing Massey while bringing him down.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred][i]Intolerable Cruelty[/i] is something of a strange breed. It’s the Coen’s most striving foray into mainstream success, with the weight of the world on Clooney and Zeta-Jones exchanging sparks and verbal repartee. For the most part, things work: the leads do have a winning chemistry; Zeta-Jones is positively glowing in Roger Deakins beautifully milky cinematography (she found out she preggers late in the shoot, which could explain the glow).[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]The stumbling block for [i]Intolerable Cruelty[/i] and its central romance is that neither of the leads, though at times charming, isn’t exactly likable or able to root for. An integral part of any romantic comedy is empathy for the leads so much that we want them to get together, possibly with swirling crescendos. But in [i]Intolerable Cruelty[/i], both leads make a living off deceiving and taking advantage of others. So while their [i]War of the Roses[/i]-esque pursuit to out-scam the other can provide some entertaining twists (and some forced and out of place), the whole duplicitous one-upsmanship doesn’t blossom credible love between the leads or the audience.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]I have a strong feeling that [i]Intolerable Cruelty [/i]was a story the Coens hopped on late, did some rewrites and invited old Coen friends to join in the jubilee. This is the first time the Coens have worked with other writers (the people who brought us such duds as [i]Big Troubl[/i]e and [i]Life[/i]), and certain storylines or subplots that glaringly feel disjointed from the screwball-comedy tone of the film. An asthmatic hit man named Wheezy Joe (who got the biggest laugh with his demise) is funny but in the wrong Coen film. When Clooney and Zeta-Jones both hire the services of Wheezy Joe to off the other, you know the story took a fantastical wrong turn. A creepy decrepit owner of Clooney’s law firm also feels like a leftover from a different film. This movie also has the most ripping up of legal documents I’ve ever seen in a movie.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Clooney is quite funny as a chattering legal eagle with a Cary Grant edge. He’s ready and willing to play against his movie star image, which works wonders for comedy, though the running gag where he must look at his teeth in any reflective surface never takes off. It took me until [i]Intolerable Cruelty[/i] to realize how much of a beautiful woman Zeta-Jones is. Her warm smile could light up an auditorium. The supporting characters are all underused but very memorable. The opening with Geoffrey Rush’s TV exec walking in on his canoodling wife is very funny, and he plays the longhaired arrogant type well. Cedric the Entertainer is hilarious as a private eye determined to “nail yo’ ass” that I started privately wishing the film would spin to follow his life and not Clooney’s.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred][i]Intolerable Cruelty[/i] is a nice diversion for the Coens, with some good laughs here and there (my favorite being the courtroom scene where Clooney and Zeta-Jones go head-to-head for the first time), but one would hope that the Coens will get back to doing hat they do best, which is quirky yet beautiful independent films. In the end, it seems that the Coens have created an oddity for themselves – a normal movie. We expect more Joel and Ethan.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Nate's Grade: B-[/color][/font]

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