Intolerable Cruelty

George Clooney establishes himself as a true Hollywood movie star and heir to the Cary Grant throne in this hysterical dark romantic comedy from the Coen brothers. Clooney plays Miles Massey, an unhappy and lonely divorce lawyer who specialises in protecting the wealth of men who have been caught cheating by their wives. But when Marilyn Rexroth (Catherine Zeta-Jones) walks into his office, he thinks he might be in love, leading to a thrilling cat-and-mouse battle of the sexes in which audiences never know who's scamming whom and whether true love is ever attainable--especially when there is a lot of money at stake.
Much has been made of the Coens' venture into mainstream movies, but INTOLERABLE CRUELTY fits in well in their pantheon of unusual and highly entertaining films, including THE HUDSUCKER PROXY, THE BIG LEBOWSKI, and BLOOD SIMPLE. Clooney and Zeta-Jones light up the screen, and they get ample support from Billy Bob Thornton as a rich country bumpkin oil magnate, Julia Duffy as a poor little rich girl, Richard Jenkins as a low-rent lawyer, Edward Herrmann as a train-loving naughty boy, Geoffrey Rush as an eccentric television producer, Cedric the Entertainer as an outrageous private investigator, and the inimitable Irwin Keyes as hit man Wheezy Joe. Fast-paced dialogue, gorgeous settings, and Clooney's facial gestures combine for a whirlwind film that is both fun and funny. The soundtrack contains many Simon & Garfunkel songs, in two cases riotously performed by a folksinging priest and a Las Vegas chapel bagpiper.