While I've enjoyed most Coen brothers' flicks including Fargo, O Brother Where Art Thou, and the like, Intolerable Cruelty is the first to ever have me laugh out loud in obnoxious ways that made me somewhat embarrassed at doing so. The Coen brothers have a darker comedic streak running through their hair and were made even bolder this time around by the help of three more excellent writers. Intolerable Cruelty features an amazing story, cast, sense of comedic timing and unforgettably maniacal sense of frenzied comedy.
Meet Miles Massey (Clooney) creator of the infamous Massey Prenuptial agreement and the top divorce lawyer on top of that. He's at the top of his game and making a name for himself world round. Enter Marilyn Rexroth (Zeta-Jones, looking as beautiful as ever) and her pending divorce against her adulterous husband Rex Rexroth (Edward Hermann, of Gilmore Girls fame among many others). It seems Marilyn hired an ambush photographer (Cedric the Entertainer) to catch her husband in the act, and catch him he did. Rex hires Massey as his legal counsel and wants absolutely no money to be rewarded to his future ex-wife, a hard case considering the evidence. Massey pulls it off and the courtship of Marilyn Rexroth begins.
The cat and mouse game of Massey and Rexroth is full of hilarity involving stars such as Billy Bob Thornton as a wealthy oil tycoon and possible future husband for Marilyn. In consulting their wedding, Massey witnesses the signing of a "Massey Prenuptial Agreement" the most ironclad prenuptial the world has ever seen. Massey doubts Marilyn's intentions and becomes all the while more and more enraptured by this mysterious woman. Is the world's top divorce lawyer falling in love? Guessing the motives and clever tricks inherent in this story keep an audience entertained and laughing all the while.
Clooney is charismatic as ever as Massey and ever so fun to watch. Watch him sweat, watch him laugh, watch him give a heart-rending speech to a ballroom full of divorce lawyers as to why they should encourage reconciling instead of separation. George Clooney is at a high point in his career when this movie came out and there's no question as to why with a performance like this.
Catherine Zeta-Jones relies a little more on her good looks and seductive allure in this movie than most of her fans are used to. Her black widow nature keeps her wits tight and her dresses tighter. Her one-liners are well-timed and her acting skills are top-notch in this role.
With the two bigger stars leading the cast there's surprisingly enough room for many well-known stars to fill in the gaps, Geoffrey Rush among others. Rush's intro to the movie is absolutely hilarious (maybe less so if you don't like Rush), but if you do, his performance here is a treat, it's only a shame we didn't see a little more of him. Richard Jenkins plays Clooney's bumbling and unsure lawyer adversary and he's perfect for the job. His playful acting style and look of permanent exhaustion keeps the courtroom tension at a hilarity highpoint.
Like all the Coen brothers' films Intolerable Cruelty depends on a deep sense of irony and a good sense of character. They chose their lead performers and their supporting ones perfectly; a blend of experienced comedians with others that are typically known for slightly more dramatic role; and why not as this movie is about a relatively serious subject: divorce. But perhaps it's the way the story flies from one point to another, or the way the actors always seem to be winking at the camera that a serious subject such as divorce could become the target for such a non-stop laugh fest such as this. The Coen brothers have created another film that despite seeming to fit into such an ordinary genre as Romantic Comedy overflows into all surrounding categories and takes its story, characters, and directors with it.
"Intolerable Cruelty" opens October 10, 2003 and is rated PG13. Comedy. Directed by Joel Coen. Written by Robert Ramsey, Matthew Stone, John Romano, Ethan and Joel Coen. Starring Billy Bob Thornton, Catherine Zeta Jones, Cedric The Entertainer, Geoffrey Rush, George Clooney, Richard Jenkins.
