Intolerable Cruelty was a film that didn't originate with the Coen brothers. Unlike such masterpieces as Blood Simple and Fargo, and even theatrical sleepers like The Man Who Wasn't There and The Big Lebowski, this was a film in all likely-hood offered to them from producer Brian Grazer and from a story by Matthew Stone and Robert Ramsey (of EdTV fame if you're wondering who they are). Indeed, this is the first time a Coen brothers film (with a possible exception being O Brother Where Art Thou, which also starred George Clooney) looks 'big' bucks.
There are signs in the story of why Joel and Ethan Coen would want to make this movie, since it has an intriguing idea that runs along their sense of sly/cleverness. Miles Massey (Clooney, showing off his teeth) is a marriage lawyer who's risen to fame among his ranks for win after win, and a pre-nup named after him that's impenetrable. Enter Rex Rexroth (Edward Hermann), who has been caught on camera in a scene of infidelity, and still wants to get away without giving her anything in divorce court. His wife is the icy, gorgeous Marilyn (Catherine Zeta-Jones in a performance within a performance), who through the course of the film has a few tricks up her sleeve, which impresses Miles enough to start falling in love with her. This, even as she plans to re-marry after her divorce to an oil tycoon (Billy Bob Thornton, who gives a small role that should've had more to it).
I wouldn't consider Intolerable Cruelty to be a perpetually bad film, in fact there were a few of characters of note that brought out belly laughs from me: Geoffrey Rush shows off his acting chops in the opening scene, and two bit parts for Jonathan Hadary as Heinz, the Baron Krauss von Espy, and Irwin Keyes as Wheezy Joe, reminded me what irreverent and uproarious spirit the Coens bring to their films. However, a lot of the film is filled mostly with dialog, though clever, that probably looked funnier on paper - the performances by the stars mean well, but a lot of times the combination of the acting and writing is dry. Do Clooney and Zeta-Jones have chemistry, yes, but when a story like this is this obvious it blocks real interest in these characters, who for at least half of the film are shallow amidst the romantic/black comedy. C+
There are signs in the story of why Joel and Ethan Coen would want to make this movie, since it has an intriguing idea that runs along their sense of sly/cleverness. Miles Massey (Clooney, showing off his teeth) is a marriage lawyer who's risen to fame among his ranks for win after win, and a pre-nup named after him that's impenetrable. Enter Rex Rexroth (Edward Hermann), who has been caught on camera in a scene of infidelity, and still wants to get away without giving her anything in divorce court. His wife is the icy, gorgeous Marilyn (Catherine Zeta-Jones in a performance within a performance), who through the course of the film has a few tricks up her sleeve, which impresses Miles enough to start falling in love with her. This, even as she plans to re-marry after her divorce to an oil tycoon (Billy Bob Thornton, who gives a small role that should've had more to it).
I wouldn't consider Intolerable Cruelty to be a perpetually bad film, in fact there were a few of characters of note that brought out belly laughs from me: Geoffrey Rush shows off his acting chops in the opening scene, and two bit parts for Jonathan Hadary as Heinz, the Baron Krauss von Espy, and Irwin Keyes as Wheezy Joe, reminded me what irreverent and uproarious spirit the Coens bring to their films. However, a lot of the film is filled mostly with dialog, though clever, that probably looked funnier on paper - the performances by the stars mean well, but a lot of times the combination of the acting and writing is dry. Do Clooney and Zeta-Jones have chemistry, yes, but when a story like this is this obvious it blocks real interest in these characters, who for at least half of the film are shallow amidst the romantic/black comedy. C+