Intolerable Cruelty

Starring: George Clooney, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Geoffrey Rush, Cedric the Entertainer, Billy Bob Thornton
Directed by: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Romance, Comedy
2003

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Super-lawyer Miles Massey is one of the best-known divorce lawyers in the country. When he bests Marylin (Catherine Zeta-Jones), the soon-to-be ex-wife of a wealthy tycoon, the two are pitted against each other to see who will come out on top.

Review:

Tim: When I heard that this movie was a Coen Brothers film (I didn't know that until I saw it) I was even more excited for it. They have had an uncanny string of hits, and this time they had major star power in George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones. My excitement just goes to show that disappointment happens frequently when you are a movie viewer.

The film starts off decently enough. We see that George Clooney plays a sleazy, egotistical, cocky lawyer that you absolutely love. Clooney's ability to do this is pretty amazing, and he should be somewhat excluded from the criticism on this film.

Much to my surprise, for every ounce of enthusiasm and charisma that Clooney pours into the role, there is an ounce lacking in his co-star, Zeta-Jones. She gives an uninspired and somewhat lackadaisical performance. She's supposed to be unlikable in the beginning and at the end warm our hearts toward her, but it just doesn't happen. Through most of the movie she appears to be running on autopilot. There should be gallons of chemistry between these two stars, and I was baffled that there isn't much at all.

Despite Zeta-Jones's underwhelming performance, this film still could have been okay, if it stuck to the core of the film- what it is fundamentally about. However, the Coen brothers jump off the tracks and give us scenes and subplots we didn't ask for nor do we need. For example, the scenes with the ancient sickly boss of the firm are just ridiculous, as are the ones with the hit man (although his death is somewhat clever). These scenes may have been meant to add some comedy, but end up detracting from the basis of the film.

All in all, Intolerable Cruelty was pretty disappointing. The Coen Brothers had all the talent they needed for a great film, but in several areas, this film just falls far short of what it should be. I won't go so far as to say that watching this film subjected me to intolerable cruelty... but it was pretty close.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 5.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Fargo, Traffic, Ocean's 11, Out of Sight, Raising Arizona