Intolerable Cruelty

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Intolerable Cruelty
Directed by Joel Coen
Ethan Coen Uncredited
Produced by Ethan Coen
Joel Coen
Written by Ethan Coen &
Joel Coen&
Robert Ramsay &
Matthew Stone &
John Romano
Starring George Clooney
Catherine Zeta-Jones
Billy Bob Thornton
Cedric The Entertainer
Geoffrey Rush
Music by Carter Burwell
Cinematography Roger Deakins
Editing by Ethan Coen&
Joel Coen as Roderick Jaynes
Release date(s) September 30, 2003
Running time 100 min.
Country United States
Language English
French
Budget $60,000,000
IMDb profile

Intolerable Cruelty is a 2003 dark comedy/romance directed by Joel and Ethan Coen and starring George Clooney, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Cedric The Entertainer, and Billy Bob Thornton. It was released by Universal Pictures and received mixed reviews from critics.

Contents

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

George Clooney portrays Miles Massey, the nation's top divorce attorney, creator of the Massey Pre-Nup, a Pre-nuptial agreement which has never been successfully challenged in court, which means that no party benefits financially in the event of a divorce. In court, Massey is an ultimate power: suave, prepared, and ready to destroy the opposition. But outside of the court, Massey is in the middle of a mid-life crisis. No longer enchanted by his wealth and excess, Massey's life is turned inside out after he meets Catherine Zeta-Jones, who portrays Marilyn Rexroth, a serial divorcee. Massey and Rexroth meet in court, with Massey winning his case.

Rexroth then marries Howard D Doyle (played by Billy Bob Thornton), an oil millionaire. They subsequently divorce and Rexroth meets Massey at a convention of divorce attorneys in Las Vegas. Massey besotted with her, marries her on the spur of the moment but first gets Rexroth to sign a pre-nup. Massey is a changed man and decides to abandon divorce work in favour of pro-bono work in East Los Angeles. However when celebrating this decision, Massey discovers that Howard D Doyle is in fact an actor in a soap opera and not an oil millionaire.

This leaves Massey's wealth exposed to Rexroth's asset stripping. He decided to hire an assassin to kill her, however before the plan is completed he learns that Marilyn's first husband Rex Rexroth has died of a heart attack, leaving his millions to Marilyn. Massey now stands to benefit from the divorce so tries to stop the assassination with tragically comic results. At the end Massey and Rexroth meet at a divorce attornies to hammer out a deal. Massey is now the stronger partner but is still in love with Marilyn. He shows his trust in Marilyn by retrospectively signing a pre-nup, Marilyn tears it up and they kiss and make up.

[edit] Quote

  • Counselor Bender: "Objection, your Honor! Strangling the witness!"
    Judge Munson: "I'm going to allow it."
  • Massey (ordering lunch from a diner): "Ham sandwich on stale rye bread. Lots of mayo, easy on the ham."
  • Gus Petch: "I'm gonna nail yo' ass!"
  • Marylin Rexroth: "I've invested five good years in my marriage to Rex and I've nailed his ass fair and square. Now i'm going to have it stuffed, mounted, and have my lady friends come over and throw darts at it."

[edit] Trivia

  • The judge (Marva Munson) shares the same name as the lead female protagonist in the subsequent Coen Brothers film The Ladykillers.


Movies by Joel and Ethan Coen
Blood Simple • Raising Arizona • Miller's Crossing • Barton Fink • The Hudsucker Proxy • Fargo • The Big Lebowski • O Brother, Where Art Thou? • The Man Who Wasn't There • Intolerable Cruelty • The Ladykillers • No Country for Old Men


[edit] External links

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