But it isn't all fun and games. Ultimately, however, the movie is so desperate for a conventional ending that it subverts everything it was willing to try earlier. Here's the Opening for the 2004 VHS of Intolerable CrueltyAnd Here's the Order:1. By comparison, one could almost call the Coens' approach optimistic. The screenplay was written by Robert Ramsey and Matt Stone and then refashioned by the Coen Brothers in the mid-1990s. A competent bit of work from which striking originality and idiosyncrasy have mostly been pruned away. Not sure where the critics and fans diverged with this particular film, but for my tastes, I found it to be a … Claudia Puig. He no longer experiences joy from winning court cases. For whatever reason, the Coen Brothers' comedies (such as Raising Arizona, The Hudsucker Proxy, and The Big Lebowski) have always garnered less critical attention than the filmmakers' more serious fare (such as Blood Simple, Barton Fink, and Fargo). Intolerable Cruelty by the Coen brothers, Ethan and Joel, is a more consistent and pleasing work, concerning the state of American marriage and divorce among the moneyed. Her response: "You have no idea." 75. Intolerable Cruelty is a 2003 American romantic comedy film directed and co-written by Joel and Ethan Coen, and produced by Brian Grazer and the Coens. Not brilliantly funny nor incisively clever, Intolerable Cruelty is still moderately satirical and laugh-out-loud enjoyable. A beautiful gold digger matches wits with a shrewd Beverly Hills divorce lawyer who is increasingly attracted to her. The only thing stronger than their attraction to one another is their need to win. Intolerable Cruelty Critic Reviews + Ratings Favorite Movie Button Overview; Movie Times + Tickets; Synopsis; Movie Reviews; More. A sleek George Clooney and a seductive Catherine Zeta-Jones square off magnificently in the divorce comedy Intolerable Cruelty. And, while there are similarities to Danny DeVito's The War of the Roses, Intolerable Cruelty lacks the earlier film's bleak, black attitude. Marylin, on the other hand, is simply looking for "wealth, independence, and freedom." Intolerable Cruelty (United States, 2003) A movie review by James Berardinelli For whatever reason, the Coen Brothers' comedies (such as Raising Arizona, The Hudsucker Proxy, and The Big Lebowski) have always garnered less critical attention than the filmmakers' more serious fare (such as Blood Simple, Barton Fink, and Fargo). Intolerable Cruelty was released in 2003 and has generally received mixed reviews. 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. Respect her for it." Read full review. Movies just don't get better. INTOLERABLE CRUELTY (director/writer: Joel Coen; screenwriters: based on a book by Robert Ramsey & Matthew Stone & John Romano/Ethan Coen/Robert Ramsey/Matthew Stone; cinematographer: Roger Deakins; editors: Ethan & Joel Coen; music: Carter Burwell; cast: George Clooney (Miles Massey), Catherine Zeta-Jones (Marylin Rexroth), Geoffrey Rush (Donovan Donaly), Cedric the Entertainer (Gus … 36 of 40 found this interesting. The script was written by Robert Ramsey and Matthew Stone and Ethan and Joel Coen, with the latter writing the last draft of the screenplay. Marylin is constantly on low burn, but there are a couple of occasions when she ignites in Clooney's company. Rarely has strife between the sexes been so ruthless, so civilized, and so funny. The script is whip-smart. She goes on the list with Ava Gardner and Deborah Kerr. It has lively, near double-entendres, as well as other strong language, grim comic violence and sexual situations. The only intolerable cruelty associated with this picture is reserved for those who miss the opportunity to see it. Miles is undergoing a mid-life crisis. Initially the screenplay was attached to Ron Howard and then Jonathan Demme, who had planned to cast Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant in the lead roles. The screenplay has real bite, and some of the best exchanges are memorable. The movie features George Clooney as divorce lawyer Miles Massey and Catherine Zeta-Jones as Marylin Rexroth who is looking for a rich man she can marry, break up with and take his money. Intolerable Cruelty by the Coen brothers, Ethan and Joel, is a more consistent and pleasing work, concerning the state of American marriage and divorce among the moneyed. Rex to Miles: "My wife has me between a rock and a hard place." and the Terms and Policies, Screwball comedy for older teens and adults. A fun romp, thanks largely to the deft work of its two leads. It is not fated to be the last time these two will encounter each other, inside or outside of the courtroom and the bedroom. The dance these two do around each other makes the moves of an average screen couple appear clumsy and poorly choreographed. Intolerable Cruelty (2003) External Reviews. Focus Features Collection promo2. Perfect casting is doubtlessly one of the reasons why Intolerable Cruelty succeeds as unconditionally as it does. Due to Miles’ line of … Overall, film critics prefer the movie, giving it an average score of 73%, compared … Probably their least esoteric work to date, but still peppered with their wonderfully inventive visual style, Intolerable Cruelty finds Joel and Ethan exploring new territory with familiar friends and [&hellip The visuals are stylish; several of the jokes have sudden, unexpected punch lines; and Carter Burwell's score is knowingly over-the-top in the way it parodies melodramatic movie music. Copyright © Fandango. Some viewers may be disturbed by a character who is very ill. With George Clooney, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Billy Bob Thornton, Geoffrey Rush. The characters are … The plot is simple: Lawyer supreme Miles Massey (Clooney, Out of Sight, Ocean's Eleven) skillfully outmaneuvers gold-digger Marylin Rexroth (Zeta-Jones, Chicago, Traffic) when she divorces her wealthy husband--and she sets out to get revenge. Undeniably the funniest and most romantically funny comedy of the year. The Coens come closer to the zaniness of their greatest comedy, Raising Arizona, then they have in all of their movies since then. Miles to Marylin: "I assume you're a carnivore." This is the Coens dabbling in the mainstream, and bending it to their will. ''Intolerable Cruelty'' is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned). Miles, who is already wealthy, is driven by the desire to savor "the ultimate destruction of [his] opponent." Please enter your email address and we will email you a new password. Destined to rank among the Coens' least memorable achievements. The Coensâ(TM) first mainstream romantic comedy is a superb hijacking of an ailing art form -- short, sharp and frequently laugh-out-loud hilarious. Not sure where the critics and Surprisingly one of the more controversial films in the Coen Brothers' oeuvre, "Intolerable Cruelty" honestly plays more to the crowd than most of the filmmaking duo's other films, featuring the bubbly and cheeky feel of many other romantic comedies of the era. There is comic violence that includes guns and one character is killed. Intolerable Cruelty is the most recent of these - a film that takes the traditional romantic comedy and tweaks it by way of The War of the Roses. Sign up here. As much fun as the Coens have with the conventions of the genre, and despite the great delight they take in flouting our expectations, they never venture too far from the familiar trail. Meanwhile, Marylin begins to question her life's goal when she realizes that money makes for a cold companion during lonely nights. Bookended by two versions of "The Boxer" -- Simon & Garfunkel 's own bittersweet rendition and Colin Linden 's more ragged reading -- the collection features several more apt songs for this … The Ladykillers is an interesting concoction - a faithful update of the original Ealing comedy cooked in vat of Coen Brothers' seasoning. Don't have an account? Families who have dealt with painful divorces may not find the depiction in this film very entertaining. 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. Intolerable Cruelty Reviews + Ratings Favorite Movie Button Overview; Movie Times + Tickets; Synopsis; Movie Reviews; More. Intolerable Cruelty was a Cohen Brothers production. Here's an anomaly: a comedy about smart people. Marilyn's con is long, but it's worth it.". Directed by Joel Coen, Ethan Coen. Their first skirmish occurs when Miles represents Marylin's philandering husband, Rex (Edward Herrmann), in a divorce action. [Ce film] est tout ce que l'on ne veut pas voir les Coen faire dans leur futur, mais aussi le genre de comédie romantique que l'on souhaiterait voir plus souvent. None of this stops these two from crossing swords, but it heightens our interest in the results of the battles. Fantasy novelist. A vastly underrated Coen Brothers confection. Intolerable Cruelty is a romantic comedy, but it has enough dark, strange, and cynical moments to qualify as a full-fledged part of the Coen canon. Forgot your password? Showing all 172 external reviews. If there are jokes that miss their targets, they are few and far between. These stars not only light up the screen, they generate enough electricity to light up Times Square. INTOLERABLE CRUELTY tries to redeem its meanness with a sweetened solution and a not-unpredictable romantic conclusion, but then it resorts to laughing at marriage again in the end.Though INTOLERABLE CRUELTY is a funny movie not grounded in anyone's reality, extreme caution is still urged for the discerning viewer.Please address your comments to:Stacey Snider, ChairmanUniversal PicturesRon … The first question about 2003's Intolerable Cruelty to tackle is, why in God's name did the Coen brothers make it? After watching the Coen Brothers spend years mowing their way through genres and upending conventions, one question comes to mind: Is there anything these guys can't do. The Shrink Is In preview3. The combatants are attorney Miles Massey (George Clooney) and fortune-hunter Marylin Rexroth (Catherine Zeta-Jones). Robert Ramsey & Matthew Stone and Ethan Coen & Joel Coen, "PG-13" (Sexual Situations, Profanity, Violence), Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011). As regal as she is classically beautiful, Catherine Zeta-Jones radiates a cool sensuality that's impossible to ignore. As Miles, Clooney doesn't make any direct emotional appeal to the audience and yet his high style is so smashingly effective that Miles stands open to us: macher, lover, patsy. AllMusic Review by Heather Phares [+] The soundtrack for the Coen Brothers' romantic comedy Intolerable Cruelty features a witty array of pop songs and excerpts from Carter Burwell 's equally witty score. Sidney Poitier’s 7 Most Memorable Performances, All Harry Potter Movies Ranked Worst to Best by Tomatometer, Golden Tomato Awards: Best Movies & TV of 2020, "The standout by far is Catherine Zeta-Jones, who maintains such a casual aloofness throughout that it isn't hard to see why Miles is so taken with her. The Observer. The camera just stands there and gawks at Catherine Zeta-Jones, and so does George Clooney, and so do we. Intolerable Cruelty seems the kind of movie that results from two essentially erudite, anarchic talents playing down to the masses. Intolerable Cruelty. The Coens take the time to allow Miles and Marylin to develop beyond the thin caricatures they initially seem to be. Isaac5855 24 August 2006. Get the freshest reviews, news, and more delivered right to your inbox! Ladykillers, The (United States, 2004) A movie review by James Berardinelli. Online reviewers have written 672 reviews, giving Intolerable Cruelty (2003) an average rating of 60%. The Coens do an efficient job of stamping their signature grotesquerie on sumptuous Beverly Hills and Las Vegas settings and ladling on gallows humor and malice, sometimes with the verve of early Robert Zemeckis. A bland studio comedy with some genuinely terrific bits. His reply: "That's her job. Nevertheless, for those who like intelligent, quirky movies filled with big laughs, dry wit, and other small pleasures, it's difficult to beat Joel and Ethan Coen's humorous outings. It's hard to think of anyone better than charming George Clooney to play the smooth, preening Miles, who never passes up an opportunity to check on his smile in a mirror. Intolerable Cruelty maintains a jaunty tone throughout, even as the storyline criss-crosses from con game to romance and back. When it comes to “anti-romantic comedies,” Destination Wedding falls far short of my favorite of this sort, the Coen Brothers’ Intolerable Cruelty. Approved as a critic by Rotten Tomatoes. Burn After Reading (United States, 2008) A movie review by James Berardinelli. The ending is satisfying on its own terms, which may not be the same ones under which more traditional romantic comedies operate. Extented Reviews from James Berardinelli. I haven't liked every film the Coens have made, but even the least impressive title on their resume can at least claim to be interesting. The Coen Brothers’ latest wink to cinema history is Intolerable Cruelty, a battle of the sexes-themed romantic comedy surrounding the legal trade in rich Hollywood husbands. Intolerable Cruelty: Official Clip - I'm a Patsy, Intolerable Cruelty: Official Clip - Wheezy Joe, Intolerable Cruelty: Official Clip - The Ass Nailer. She has the kind of beauty that could melt a divorce lawyer's heart and soften his brain, which is what happens in "Intolerable Cruelty," the new comedy by the Coen Brothers. Philip French. See all 40 reviews on Metacritic.com More Critic Reviews The Coens' fingerprints are all over the production, as one might reasonably expect. Plus, there's even a warning about the dangers of using an inhaler (although this will not be mistaken for a public service announcement). It's not a long list. Glitz, glamour, comedy and Clooney and [ Catherine] Zeta-Jones. and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and Fandango. Sunday 26 October 2003. Intolerable Cruelty by the Coen brothers, Ethan and Joel, is a more consistent and pleasing work, concerning the state of American marriage and divorce among the moneyed. All rights reserved. By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy By Robert Ramsey and Matt Stone and then refashioned by the Coen Brothers '.! Laugh-Out-Loud enjoyable film very entertaining have dealt with painful divorces may not be the same ones under which More romantic! Which striking originality and idiosyncrasy have mostly been pruned away stronger than their attraction to another. Been pruned away Ealing comedy cooked in vat of Coen Brothers in divorce. Reviewers have written 672 Reviews, giving Intolerable Cruelty associated with this picture is reserved for who. 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