Genre: Crime, Romance, Comedy, Infidelity, Deception, Law, Scams And Cons, Detectives, Femme Fatale, Animals, Satire, Love, Courtroom, Revenge
Tagline: A romantic comedy with bite.
Plot: Miles Massey (George Clooney), 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 (Zeta-Jones). Marylin is the soon-to-be ex-wife of his client Rex Rexroth (Edward Herrmann), a wealthy real estate developer and habitual philanderer. With the help of hard charging private investigator Gus Petch (Cedric The Entertainer), 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 (Billy Bob Thornton). Miles and his unflappable associate, Wrigley (PAUL ADELSTEIN), unwittingly dig themselves in deeper and deeper as they go head-to-head with Marylin. Underhanded tactics, deceptions and an undeniable attraction escalate as Marylin and Miles square off in this classic battle of the
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 , it's something not seen in movie theaters for a long time: an intelligent, modern screwball comedy, a minor classic on the order of competent, fast-talking curve balls about deception and greed like Mitchell Leisen's ''Easy Living'' and Billy Wilder's ''Major and the Minor.''--Elvis Mitchell (The New York Times)
Intolerable Cruelty is one of their better comedies, and, once 2003 has drawn to a close, it will likely be regarded as one of the year's funniest motion pictures. The only intolerable cruelty associated with this picture is reserved for those who miss the opportunity to see it.  --James Berardinelli (ReelViews)
George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones square off deliciously, but this '30s-style battle of the sexes from the Coen brothers never catches fire.--Charles Taylor (Salon)
The movie has many scenes of delicious comedy, Cloo-ney and Zeta-Jones play their characters perfectly in an imperfect screenplay, and the man with the asthma puffer gets the biggest single laugh since the hair gel in "There's Something About Mary."  --Roger Ebert (Chicago Sun-Times)
Enjoyable screwball comedy that will please some but is a slight disappointment, given the high standards set by the Coen’s previous movies.  --Matthew Turner (ViewLondon)
Probably the most commercial Coen brothers film to date, it's still a hilarious ride through a skewed reality that delivers memorable performances and subtle social commentary.  --Derek May (MovieWeb)
This is like some ungrateful buffet laid out by the Gods of Cinema. There's no "true love" to these proceedings. You don't want to take a prospective dating partner to this with the hopes of putting a pang in (his or) her undersized heart. It just doesn't work that way. This is the kind of bizarre night out you save for that one friend of the opposite sex you have no chance of ever hooking up with.  --B. Alan Orange (MovieWeb)
While Intolerable Cruelty is a few shades lighter than the Coen brothers' best work, any objections about lowbrow condescension are swiftly overruled in 99 minutes of high class action. -- (BBC Films)
The movie has lots of scenes that come across as numbingly ordinary, which is absolutely shocking for a Coen film.--Jeffrey M. Anderson (San Francisco Examiner)
{This} is Alex & Emma all over again, as there will be some moviegoers pondering to themselves if this really was directed by the Coen’s. C--Lee Tistaert (Lee's Movie Info)
"Intolerable Cruelty" is a screwball black comedy, reflecting both the style of Preston Sturges and the tone of "War of the Roses," with just enough Coen brothers touches to make it recognizable as theirs.  --Jack Mathews (New York Daily News)
A break from the norm for the Coen boys, but this so-so attempt at an old-school screwballer only just manages pass marks. 6/10--Gary Panton (Movie Gazette)
The Coen brothers are capable of better, but when it takes other Hollywood competition to court, 'Intolerable Cruelty' comes out with the winning verdict. Mainstream enough to get a general audience, quirky enough to keep fans of 'Raising Arizona' and 'The Big Lebowski' smiling. 8/10--Anton Bitel (Movie Gazette)
Substantially darker and more twisted than the average screwball romantic comedy. 80/100--Brian Webster (Apollo Guide)
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| Directed by |
Joel Coen
Fargo, The Big Lebowski, O Brother, Where Art Thou? |
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| Written by |
| Matthew Stone
Life, Destiny Turns on the Radio, No Place Like Home |
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| Cast |
George Clooney
Ocean's Eleven, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut |
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 | Geoffrey Rush
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Finding Nemo, Shakespeare in Love |
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 | Richard Jenkins
Me, Myself & Irene, The Man Who Wasn't There, Changing Lanes |
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| So this is a conventional film, but not that conventional. Even when it goes for clichés like the big inspirational speech set to syrupy music and met with a slow-clap, you can't help but feel that the Coens have their tongue firmly pushed into their cheek. By Coen standards this is a minor effort, but it's still superior to the average rom-com. --Kevin N. Laforest (Montreal Film Journal)
The Coen brothers go Hollywood and end up with a throw-away farce instead of a sparkling romantic comedy.--Jean Oppenheimer (Hollywod Reporter)
At the end of the day, Intolerable Cruelty is a riot. It's extremely funny, has charm to spare and is just as great a Coen Brothers movie as any of their other films. 9/10-- (CHUD.com)
The price of this film is worth paying, not so much to see Clooney and Z-J, who exude minimal chemistry -- if chemistry can be exuded -- but to savor the supporting performances and the Ethan and Joel Coen script.--Ron Weiskind (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Coen brothers’ purists will scoff at their prostituting themselves as writers-director for hire. For the rest of us, this is a bright and breezy comedy with a higher-than-average IQ for entries in this genre.--Stephen Groenewegen (eFilmCritic.com)
In the Coen manner, the film brims with crafty character turns, including Billy Bob Thornton as a rich Texan and Geoffrey Rush as a ponytailed TV producer. But Clooney is definitely the man of these two hours.-- (Rolling Stone)
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