Release Date: October 10, 2003
Starring: George Clooney, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Cedric the Entertainer, Billy Bob Thornton, Geoffrey Rush
Directed by: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Written by: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Distributed by: Universal Pictures
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (sexual content, language, brief violence)
It’s a testament to the Coen brothers’ talent when you can call a smart and well-made comedy like Intolerable Cruelty a disappointment. With star power like George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones, audiences likely expect something of the caliber of Fargo or O Brother, Where Art Thou?, two of the filmmaker brothers’ greatest hits, but that’s not quite what they’ll get with this piece. Cruelty more resembles typical romantic comedy, but with a welcome touch of wit and sassiness. The film manages to be a solid 100 minutes of entertainment highlighted by the excellent comedic prowess of Clooney and the trademark creativity of the always clever writing-directing team of Joel and Ethan Coen.
The title refers to the cold-hearted character that the beautiful Zeta-Jones plays and the insufferable greed that drives her actions. She’s Marylin Rexroth, a seductive woman who has made a career of marrying wealthy men and arranging for them to cheat on her so she can claim their fortunes in the divorce. It’s an interesting moment, then, when she meets Miles Massey (Clooney), a renowned and unbeatable divorce attorney who makes an extravagant living making his clients rich, even though they may not be the victims in each case.
Massey represents Marylin’s husband, played by Edward Herrmann, and the lawyer proves to be her match. In a hilarious court scene, Massey proves that Marilyn merely married Herrmann for his money, and now she seems either bent on getting revenge or falling in love with the attorney. Massey certainly hopes for the latter and tries to woo her.
In the vein of most Coen brothers movies, Intolerable Cruelty features much silliness and an equal amount of smart humor. If the characters aren’t making funny faces, which Clooney’s obsessively hygienic character does rather often, they’re delivering clever lines that are shot out so quickly it keeps both the actors and the audience on their toes. There are plenty of funny jokes buried in the dialogue, which is characteristic of the filmmaking partners, just as the inclusion of several humorous supporting characters. It’s hard not to laugh at the flamboyant Baron Krauss von Espy (Jonathan Hadary), the simple-minded oil company owner played by Billy Bob Thorton, the jealous TV producer played by Geoffrey Rush, and the dopey asthmatic hitman called Wheezy Joe (Irwin Keyes).
Though the style of the film is a bit more mainstream than what Joel and Ethan Coen usually deliver, Intolerable Cruelty still has its servings of dark comedy. Fortunately it’s delivered with the proper amount of taste, unlike, for example, Danny DeVito’s attempts at the genre, Duplex or Death to Smoochy. The Coens have a way of providing guilt-free laughs, thanks to the charm that emanates from each of their productions. Intolerable Cruelty is less morbid and emotionally heavy than Fargo, but its comedy is comparable to the Coens’ delightfully goofy films Raising Arizona and The Big Lebowski. Cruelty is also more tame than O Brother, Where Art Thou?, although the subject matter is quite different -- it’s more conventional and therefore less creatively demanding. Some may use that argument against the film, but doing so would be overlooking the fact that it’s still a much more sophisticated romantic comedy than the usual cookie-cutter products Hollywood has made famous. And most frequent moviegoers have been very hungry for something of this quality, or at least from someone other than Woody Allen.
George Clooney is the biggest reason that Intolerable Cruelty is a first-class film, and he’s the one who helps the comedy work so well. His comic talent shined in O Brother, and does so again here just as much, if not more. His courtroom scenes alone are worth the admission price, and the movie probably could have used more of them. The facial expressions and timing of his lines make Clooney a true master of comedy, and luckily he’s on the mature side of the genre. He truly could be the next Cary Grant, as some have already annointed him.
If Clooney keeps this up, funny roles or not, a slew of awards should be waiting for him. It definitely shouldn’t be long before Oscar is knocking on his door; in fact, if there’s any justice in this world, Miles Massey is worth at least a Golden Globe nomination.
The only thing to say against about Intolerable Cruelty is that it’s not exactly your typical Coen brothers movie. Some fans may feel shortchanged because they throw in more Hollywood tricks than usual, but most viewers, including the average moviegoer, should be satisfied. Again, when you can say a movie this sharp and fun is a bit disappointing, that’s a strong compliment to the career of this pair of quick-witted filmmakers.
-- Andy Zientek (zfilm@earthlink.net)