INTOLERABLE CRUELTY
The Coen Bros. settle for a glorified chickflick! (The luminous Catherine Zeta-Jones is the only bright spot in this dull divorce farce?)
2-1/2 stars for divorcees/2 stars for the rest - IMDb rating: 6.6 (out of 10)
[(2003)USA/Rated PG-13] - (1 hr. 40 min.)
Directed/Co-written by Joel Coen
Co-writers: Robert Ramsey, Matthew Stone, & Ethan Coen
Lead characters/Cast
Miles Massey - George Clooney
Marylin Rexroth - Catherine Zeta-Jones
Review:
If you haven't noticed by now, 2003 is shaping up to be the year of the 'grifter' movie with films like "Matchstick Men," "Confidence," "The Cooler," and now the divorce scam-athon "Intolerable Cruelty."
If you are a huge Coen Bros. fan like I am, you may be disappointed to find that the wacky filmmaking duo have completely capitulated to the Hollywood formula by releasing a very derivative farce.
Extremely overwritten comic dialogue 'tells' the audience to laugh rather than inviting us in or challenging us. However, I can't fault the acting as Catherine Zeta-Jones ("Chicago") is absolutely gorgeous as the man-killing hustler who seemingly meets her match with flim-flamming divorce lawyer Geoge Clooney ("Solaris").
Star power isn't always enough as I think I only laughed out loud twice from start to finish. It seems that all the charm that the 5 min. 'trailer' offered quickly evaporates in the full-length version as the main action is diluted with too many unnecessary minor characters including an unfunny aged law partner (with his own saline drip) and a cloying law associate mugging for cheap laughs.
And you can forget about the big-name supporting cast, as this film completely wastes Geoffrey Rush ("Pirates of the Caribbean"), Billy Bob Thornton ("Bad Santa"), and Cedric the Entertainer ("Barbershop") in pitifully minor-league roles.
If you do decide to go see this one, then keep your expectations low and chances are this film will meet them (or ask the theater owner for a pre-nup so you can get your money back if you don't laugh?).
Supporting characters/Cast
Donovan Donaly - Geoffrey Rush
Gus Petch (private detective) - Cedric the Entertainer
Rex Rexroth (Marilyn's rich husband) - Edward Hermann
Freddy Bender - Richard Jenkins
Howard Doyle - Billy Bob Thornton
Wrigley - Paul Adelstein
Sarah Sorkin - Julia Duffy
Bonnie Donaly - Stacey Travis
Ollie Olerud - Jack Kyle
Heinz, the Baron Krauss von Espy (2nd rich husband) - Jonathan Hadary
Wheezy Joe - Irwin Keyes
Judge Marva Munson - Isabell Monk O'Connor
Soap opera actor on TV - Bruce Campbell
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
[Screened @ Loew Cineplex 34th St. (NYC)-Aud.#10/10-27-03: 11am]