Rating: 
Summary: Clooney and Zeta-Jones!
Review: I like the Coan Brothers. I havn't seen many movies that they made, but the few that I saw I thought were great. "The Man Who Wasn't There" is particular. I am also looking forwrd to their next movie "The Ladykillers." The reason that I liked this movie was because it was a different kind of movie that they would make. That is why alot of people thought it was bad. Can't a popular director try something different? You have to watch movies without comparing it to the director or actors past works. Watch a movie as if it's the first movie the director or actor ever made. That's the key to liking more movies. Don't compare! George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones are the stars of "Intolerable Cruelty." This was the movie where I relized that Catherine Zeta-Jones is a very beautiful women. I've always known that, but this movie kind of made that more known. It could also be done on purpose to show how everybody is instantly attracted to her in the movie, or it could just be the truth.The movie starts with Donovan Donely who is a television producer for soap-operas. He walks into his home, and finds the pool guy in the house, which is strange because they don't have a pool. His wife is cheatings on him, and after his wife stabs him with something, he takes pictures of the wound, and then shoots after his wife as she drives away with the pool guy. His wife hires Miles Massey as her divorce lawyer, and although he has alot of evidence that she hurt him, he still gets her the most in the settlement and ruins Dovovans life. Heis unbeatable. When he meets Rex Rexroth however, he changes his whole aspect. Rex was cheating on his wife, and was caught by his wife Marylin's private eye Gus Petch. With her lawyer Freddy Bender she plans to get half of thr settlement. But Rex hired Miles to be his lawyer, and Miles gets a surprise witness Heinz, the Baron Krauss von Espy. After he ruins her live, Miles becomes scared that he is going to become a workaholiv like his old boss. He decides to persue the now single Marylin. But Marylin already has a new boyfriend by Southern oilman Howard Doyle. As Miles falls deeper and deeper into love with Marylin, it becomes to the point where a hitman may have to come into play in this screwball dark comedy. The only problem with this movie was that is was to legal. I still gave it five stars, but eventually I began to get a little confused with all of these legal terms and pre-nup talk. I, frankly, began to get a little sick of it. I still really did like it, and will also probally get the DVD of this movie. Richard Jenkins was in this movie as Marylin's lawyer. I really don't like him. I think he is a terrible actor and is just a waste of talent. But Geoffrey Rush is in the movie and I feel that he is one of the best actors of of time. He could be so funny and also dramatic at the same time. He makes up for what Richard Jenkins takes away from the screen. You could see "Intolerable Cruelty," on my Top 25 Movies of 2003. It's towards the end of the list, after the half way mark. I liked it, but I did see much better last year. ENJOY! Rated PG-13 for sexual content, language and brief violence.
Rating: 
Summary: Intolerable complacency
Review: This would-be thriller did absolutely not enthral.
The main characters (divorcees and a cynical divorce lawyer) were not interesting. The fact that the cynical lawyer became a 'pentiti' because he himself fell in love, seemed far too beautiful to be true.
Even the opportunity to create a thriller effect at the end with the death of one of the superrich characters, was not well exploited.
Where are the Coens of 'Blood Simple' or 'Miller's Crossing'? I didn't find anything inspiring in this vehicle for a pair of mainstream actors.
Rating: 
Summary: Another Coen film along their recent trend
Review: Any film by brother team Joel and Ethan Coen is going to be eagerly awaited, and possibly hurt by the rabid expectations of their legions of fans, of which I am a member. Their highest profile, most mainstream movie to date, Intolerable Cruelty was bound to test the loyalty of these fans as they take yet another step away from their avant garde (in case you've forgotten, these are the guys who did the classic Big Lebowski) comedy roots and into the mainstream. if the pre-film buzz wasn't evidence enough of this, Intolerable cruelty's writing and producing credits have the contributions of 2 other individuals. One of them is Matt Stone, one of the South Park guys. I admire the South Park Phenomenon but did not enjoy the film or the guys' other movie Orgazmo (before they made it big, Parker and Stone made Cannibal The Musical! a very funny movie, and better than their later projects.)
Intolerable Cruelty is still a Coen movie, first and foremost, and a long way from any of the other film's I've just mentioned, including the Coens' own films. George Clooney, one of the most watchable actors in Hollywood, does legal and amorous battles with the lovely Catherine Zeta-Jones in this Coen-style romantic comedy. I won't bother much with the plot, since where the film really shines is in its usual array of offbeat characters and general zaniness. Clooney essentially reprises his fast-talking swindler role O brother Where Art Though, but this time as a divorce attorney. His antics are supported well by the comedy performances of characters such as Wheezy Joe the assassin and Bernie Mac as the less-than-subtle private eye.
Like most Coen movies, this one takes some getting used to. I recall my rather underwhelmed and unimpressed reaction to my first viewing of the Big Lebowski which has since become the sure-fire anecdote to a day of grouchiness. There are a few big gag laughs, but the Coens primary strategy seems to be to just keep the chuckles coming. As true romance, the film doesn't really work, and its hard to care for any of these characters when there are so slimy, but if anyone can pull off a film with unlikable protagonists, its the Coens. Coen fans should give this one more a chance before deploring it as the inevitable Hollywood-ization of their revered filmmaking team, and it should be a wonderful introduction into the zany Coen world for mainstream audiences.
Rating:
Summary: Intolerable Cruelty
Review: One can only assume that Joel and Ethan Coen were shooting for a bigger payday, and you can't blame them for that. With a history of smaller, tightly controlled films that for the most part were examples of the pinnacle of movie-making, they would have to feel the tug of envy as they watched various examples of mediocrity like "When Harry Met Sally" and "Sleepless In Seattle" make boatloads of money. So, they bring in a production company (Imagine) and the required co-producer (Brian Grazer)to make the big splash required to open a film. I'm assuming, it's this arrangement that also resulted in - and I can't believe I'm writing this - a second screen-writing team to work with the Coens or more likely, to re-write their scenes to have a more, let's say, commercial appeal. Control is leaving the building. As you might imagine, what ends up on the screen is a disaster. We get countless close-ups of the stars' faces, I guess because we're suppose to think they're so good looking; a non-sensical plot that even by farce standards doesn't hold up; acting by the female lead that I don't believe ever really results in her changing expressions; and a character - Clooney's law partner -that is right out of a TV sitcom. But the biggest disapointment is the dialogue. Admittedly, the bar is set at the highest level for the Coens, but this has none of the originality, the wit, hell, the laughs, that have been the joy of the viewer for the last two decades. It committed the ultimate sin - it was boring. Those of us sitting in the theaters are selfish for the most part. We want to be entertained and we don't care what it takes. Lord knows, Joel and Ethan Coen deserve to have made fortunes for themselves. But we don't want it done at our expense.
Rating:
Summary: The Funniest Movie in 30 years!
Review: This is the funniest movie I've seen in years and years! I (and the audiences that saw it with me) laughed, giggled, and gafawwed all the way through it. I had to see it at least 2 times so I could hear what I missed before! Buy this movie, it will help you out of the winter blues!
Rating:
Summary: light and funny, best if not prejudged
Review: This movie was just a lot of fun. Previous reviewers who wanted Fargo, Raising Arizona, When Harry Met Sally, etc, were rightfully dissapointed. This picture is much more along the lines of Bringing Up Baby, The Women, The Thin Man, or Happy Texas. Very light and romantic in a twisted comedic way, there is no graphic violence, and viewers who require everything on a movie screen to draw heartwarmed tears to be romantic will not approve. Those of us who live in California know the divorce court shown is outdated as we have had no fault divorce for many years so the legal manuvering of the movie is inaccurate. You can overlook all that for the wonderful turns of plot the writers create in the divorce court premise. I loved the obsessive creatures played by Clooney and Zeta Jones. The terrific and talented supporting cast brings to light a bevy of quirky, slightly vile but likeable characters, from ex-husbands,lawyers,detectives, mistresses,procurers, hollywood nutters of every type,to hit men,and on and on. Lots of fun, no dark moments, no tears, no deep thoughts,just a light, funny, romantic couples movie. I can't wait to add it to my home collection.
Rating:
Summary: loved it
Review: intolerable cruelty is the best film of the year with such a great cast you'd have to be the grinch to walk out without a smile on your face a laughter in your heart....cathrine and clooney have that touch of chemistry that takes together like a lawer dose to his prey
Rating:
Summary: Classic screwball comedy
Review: The Coen Brothers' tribute to the classic screwball comedies of the '50s is a stunning success, stuffed to the brim with the kind of acerbic humor, memorable characters and deadpan dialogue we've come to expect from them. While this is their first true populist feel-good film, lacking the twisted cynicism of a Blood Simple or Fargo, it never becomes too sappy or predictable. The soundtrack (a seamless combination of Carter Burwell's score, Simon and Garfunkel, Elvis Presley and Tom Jones) is awesome!
Rating: 
Summary: The Intolerable Cruelty is watching this film
Review: From the previews, this one actually seemed interesting. I loved George Clooney in "One Fine Day" (another romantic comedy) and Catherine Zeta-Jones in "Chicago", so I figured I'd give this one a shot. I was very disappointed. For me, there were hardly any parts throughout the film that made me laugh. Both actors played their roles skillfully, but I thought the script could've been better. This movie, in my opinion, is very bland and unsatisfying. I think it's one of the stupidest movies I've ever seen, to be honest. The intolerable cruelity of the film is you watching it. This film didn't live up to its potential and I'm not going to add it to my movie collection anytime soon. If you want a real romantic comedy, see "Sleepless In Seattle", "One Fine Day" or "You've Got Mail".
Rating: 
Summary: (3+) Tolerable Entertainment -But Not Up To Its Potential
Review: This is a very stylish movie, and incorporates many of the techniques that the Coen Brothers have used to advantage in their other films. However, while the utilization of such techniques as overstatement carried to the point of absurdity and characters who incorporate terminal weirdness were essential to the success of those films, they are taken to an extreme here which provides many truly comedic moments but actually detracts from the overall impact of the film. This story doesn't have to be extremely outrageous to be funny; after all, the media constantly bombards us with the crazy situations that evolve where infidelity and divorce are concerned and the extremes to which divorce lawyers will go supposedly in the interests of their clients. George Clooney is Miles Massey, the media anointed star divorce lawyer continually burnishing his image in every way imaginable. Catherine Zeta Jones is Marylin Rexroth, whose sleuth catches her rich husband Rex Rexroth (Edward Hermann) in an act of marital infidelity and determines that her divorce settlement will be the path to riches and independence. When Miles succeeds in depriving her of the expected windfall in a hilarious courtroom scene, it is clear that will not be the end of their story. After all, he is getting bored with the repetitiveness of success and is looking for new challenges, while she is still searching for the path to a life of luxury. As the story proceeds, it is unclear until the end who is really being entrapped, whether it is primarily a game of one upmanship between the two of them, and how much of the stakes are financial and how much emotional. There is a wonderful supporting cast of great character actors including among others Geoffrey Rush, Cedric the Entertainer and Billy Bob Thornton in a fantastic role as Marylin's new love interest (Or is he?). George Clooney's work is always enjoyable and Catherine Zeta Jones is easy to watch; in addition the performances of the remainder of the cast complemented the stars and provided some truly funny moments. However, as a totality the film was somewhat disappointing. As I indicated earlier, the basic story had enough clever elements and comedic potential so that it could have been told without the Coen Brothers penchant for the bizarre and the extreme (which was clearly essential to the success of RAISING ARIZONA, FARGO, and O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU). So this rating is a compromise, four plus for the actors and storyline, two plus for the onscreen implementation of the basic idea. Tucker Andersen
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