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Intolerable Cruelty (Widescreen Edition) Customer Reviews (58 - 60 of 74 Reviews)

Many a reviewer has already covered the theme. To rehash briefly, Clooney is a divorce attorney with absolutely no scruples. Zeta Jones is a gold digger. Lots can be done with those characters and the Coen brothers do a masterful job. There was a touch of "Raising Arizona" when two lead characters look at each other and scream "AHHHHHHHHH" in astonishment. And the dogs chasing, among others, the character played by Cedric the Entertainer.

Be prepared to laugh, and laugh hard. Some of the film is pretty slapstick. But that's all right. If it's done okay, let it be.

There's a little black comedy in that many of the characters are not exactly the height of human capacity.

The only thing I have against the CD is that they have the usual, "About..." the film section with a few outtakes and whatnot. It's a letdown only in that I'm getting tired of spending money on a CD, then finding it promotes itself as much as just enjoying the show. I'm told that I'll have to get used to that. But I'm more inclined, frankly, to avoid purchases of CDs for that reason. I want to see a film I enjoy, not have a half hour of the actors telling the viewer how great they are, the great chemistry they had among each other and with the director. I can do without the hype.

Aside from that, again, it's a funny flick. Those reviewers who found it boring, or bad, are from a different world (or they didn't understant the satire, etc.) Take my word for it: It's funny.

3 1/2 stars for Cohens' venture into romantic comedy
The title of the Cohen brothers' latest film Intolerable Cruelty could have been applied to the duo's film "Barton Fink". Here the brothers attempt a romantic comedy with dashes of screwball thrown in for good measure. Although "Intolerable Cruelty" can't quite stand with the best work the Cohens have done, it's a bright and breezy step away from the really dark humor that has characterized their best work. As usual, though, the duo are still original enough to subvert a number of the genre's cliches. The bottom line, it's entertaining as heck and a pleasant way to spend the evening.

Miles Massey (George Clooney) a seasoned divorce lawyer has finally met his match in the love 'em and leaves 'em Marilyn Rexroth (Catherine Zeta Jones). Massey represents Mr. Rexroth (Edward Herrmann) in the divorce . Despite the fact that they are on opposite sides of the fence, Massey and Mrs. Rexroth find an instant attraction and share a cynical outlook on romance and the institution of marriage. We get to watch the two dance around each other expecting betrayal but, in the process, they discover they really were made for each other. Featured witty dialogue, the Cohens' brand of off-beat humor and a number of interesting (Bruce Campbell, Billy Bob Thornton, Geoffrey Rush and Julia Duffy), Intolerable Cruelty at times recalls the best work of Preston Sturges and even Alfred Hitchcock's romantic comedy/suspense films. Although it isn't quite up to Sturges, Hitchcock or Lubitsch, it's a huge improvement over the bulk of the formulaic romantic comedies that Hollywood has been force feeding us over the past decade.

Both the lead actors recall romantic comedy stars from the past with their spectacular performances. In the case of Clooney, he reminds me a bit of Cary Grant's breezy performances and Zeta-Jones recalls Grace Kelley's work in Hitchcock's "To Catch a Thief". The supporting cast is equally strong and up to the task of trying to revive a genre that has fallen into cliches.

"Intolerable Cruelty" demonstrates that the Cohen brothers continue to master a wide variety of genres bending each to their artistic vision. While this breezy romantic comedy doesn't rank with their best work, the witty dialogue and inspired performances make the film a worthwhile investment on a Friday or Saturday night.

enjoyable movie!
For any Coen brother's film you know you will expect something different. And this film is pretty different and in my opinion pretty enjoyable to watch! There were some interesting scenes here and there and very funny scenes! I like the lines in this film and the acting is not that bad either. Its the kind of movie that if there was this specific scene that I liked...I would watch it again and again because it was really good! If you feel like you want to watch something different...watch this!