Intolerable Cruelty”” began the way many romantic comedies do: With an unfaithful spouse, a broken heart and an opportunity for new love. Many twists and turns later, Catherine Zeta-Jones and George Clooney are engaged in a who-can-outwit-the-other-to-achieve-the-most-money battle. It¹s a playa¹s dream.
Gaze at Clooney: George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones play adversaries in the game for money and love in the latest Coen Brothers production.
Zeta-Jones plays Marilyn Rexroth, a conniving gold-digger who divorces her millionaire husband. After taking him to court, Marilyn loses any and all claims she had, thanks to the legal brilliance of Miles Massey (Clooney), her ex-husband¹s lawyer. She quickly recovers and soon latches her claws onto an oil tycoon. Suffice it to say, the marriage isn¹t what you would expect and the Coen brothers keep the audience on their toes. This certainly is not a typical romantic comedy.
While all the main actors are talented, not all of them lived up to expectations. Zeta-Jones, in particular, seemed to phone-in all her scenes. The character of Marilyn didn¹t seem to be too big of a stretch for the actress, who naturally possesses the necessary charm and charisma. Billy Bob Thorton gave an impressive performance as Howard D. Doyle, an oil tycoon from Texas ‹ a role that is hardly a stretch for the Arkansas actor. However, Clooney completely lit up the screen in all of his scenes, being so utterly charming that even the popcorn swooned.
But it was really the smaller performances that made the film. The best character is Wrigely, Massey¹s co-counsel played by Paul Adelstein. His scenes were definite highlights of the film. Without him, the film would not have been as charming as it was.
As a whole, however, the movie was too choppy and rushed. The script has a few good one-liners and comic scenes, but didn¹t flow well. Check it out for the few hilarious gags and obviously, to see Clooney. “”Intolerable Cruelty”” is great to see as a matinee, but is definitely not worth a nine-buck evening show.
