Intolerable Cruelty

Directed by Joel Coen, Intolerable Cruelty follows slick divorce attorney Miles Massey (George Clooney) as he finds himself drawn to an equally slick gold digger named Marylin Rexroth (Catherine Zeta-Jones) – with the narrative detailing the battle-of-the-sexes dynamic that inevitably ensues between the pair. It’s clear, ultimately, that Intolerable Cruelty‘s inability to wholeheartedly capture the viewer’s interest and attention stems from its ongoing emphasis on Miles and Marylin’s relationship, as there’s never a point, really, at which Coen, working from a script written with Robert Ramsey, Matthew Stone, and Ethan Coen’s screenplay, is able to establish even a modicum of chemistry between Clooney and Zeta-Jones’ respective characters – with this vibe compounded by an almost prototypically wooden and ineffective performance by Zeta-Jones. (Clooney, on the other hand, is at his charismatic best here.) There’s consequently little doubt that the picture, though basically watchable from start to finish, is rarely able to become the frenetic, fast-paced screwball comedy Coen has surely intended, although, having said that, it’s impossible to deny the effectiveness and impact of several isolated moments and sequences throughout. (Irwin Keyes’ late-in-the-game appearance as an assassin named Wheezy Joe is surely a high point.) The end result is a far-from-memorable effort from the Coen brothers that generally feels like it could (and should) have been so much better, which is a shame, certainly, given that Intolerable Cruelty has admittedly been peppered with a whole host of appealing elements.

**1/2 out of ****