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Directed by: Joel and Ethan Coen Starring: George Clooney, Catherine Zeta Jones (i wrote this for my school paper, sorry if it's overly stylistic) Intolerable Cruelty is COEN to the OSCARS! The Coen brothers, Ethan and Joel, are responsible for the most perfect film noir of the current generation of films. The writing/directing team has produced numerous hit films, such as “Fargo,” “The Big Lebowski,” “O Brother Where Art Though?” However, Intolerable Cruelty presented a new challenge for them, working their magic with someone else’s script. Ethan’s scripts always are filled with the Coen’s post-modern philosophy, blend that with their trademark nostalgic Orwellianism and you get a recipe for pure dark comedy. George Clooney plays incredibly rich and talented divorce Lawyer Miles Massey, who mainly works for gold-diggers or the men they mine. When potential Romance arises between him and an opposing plaintiff, Marilyn Rexroth, Clooneys view of love as red tape, and therefore, his profession, is challenged. It doesn’t take much work to justify Clooney’s infatuation for Zeta’, she looks so perfect in this role she doesn’t even need to say a word. She is everything that seperates this from the other Coen films, she’s the light that brightens the Coen’s film noir. This isn’t necessarily a good thing. The Coen’s pitch-black comedy style has produced many of my favorites, such as “The Man who Wasn’t There” and “Barton Fink.” But thanks to Jones the Coens have made something completely different, a romantic comedy that actually says something. And it’s about time. I was prepared for this movie to be creatively restrictive to the duo, no matter how good the script really was I didn’t think it would work with the Coen’s self-relient style. It was quickly obvious how great this script really was. Sharp wit and layered writing (with something hilarious going on at each level, as in the first court scene of the movie) is the trail this film leads, with trademark Coenisms along the way such as Clooney’s Firm’s dangerously old Senior Partner. Another thing not to be missed from this movie is the supporting roles that are brilliantly casted and executed (literally in one case). Among these are “Wheezy Joe” (who’s role ends in a hilarious sequence near the end of the movie) and Cedric the Entertainer as PI Gus Petch whose repeated catchphrase walks the line of overkill but stays in the relm of hilarity (this is the only time Cedric the Entertainer has made me laugh). Not only is this film hilarious, brilliant, and cynical but it shows the Coen’s versatility as filmmakers. If only more directors really made the connections between their characters, the aesthetic, and the values of the film the $9 admission price wouldn’t repel me from the theater nearly as much. I give this movie a 4.5/5.
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May 2, 2004 15:56
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I was genuinely shocked how much I enjoyed this film. I've liked every other Coen Bros. movie, but this one looked so uninteresting and unlike them, and they had no hand in the script, that I wasnt't expecting much. The first 20 minutes or so felt like a horribly over-the-top screwball comedy, but it quickly settled into a truly witty, funny movie in the 1940s tradition. Hilarious peformances (especially from the "Everybody loves berries!" guy), good interplay between Clooney and Zeta-Jones, and some fantastic sight gags. 4/5
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Jun 27, 2004 22:58
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Not the best Coen brothers film, but not the worst. Pretty funny most of the time. You really have to ignore certain implausibilities, though. I'm not certain, but I don't think ripping up a document automatically nullifies it. Rating: 3.5
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Feb 3, 2005 00:46
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