Intolerable Cruelty

Universal Pictures presents a Brain Grazer production

Starring: George Clooney Catherine Zeta-Jones

Directed by: Joel Coen

Rating:****

Plot: The best divorce attorney in Los Angeles has done it again. Only problem is has fallen in love with the wife he just screwed out of getting her husband's money. The chase is on as the two play mind games with each other. Some of the sleekest comedy I have ever seen ensues.

Acting: Okay yes George Clooney was in Batman and Robin but we can all forget that, I know I have tried. George gives a stellar performance in this film. He plays Miles a smart and very full of himself attorney who works for whoever has the deeper pockets. Zeta-Jones who easily dominates the screen with a smile or a lift of an eye brow plays Marylin. A woman who does not care for love, only money and will marry who ever it takes to get that money. These two actors playing off of each other was amazing, it also helps they had a great script to work with from the Coen brothers. What I loved more than anything was Clooney's acting through his body, he says his dialogue very smoothly and sexy as he should but his body is where the comedy is at. The jerking and eyes movements he is just great. It's just like O'Brother Where Art Thou where he just nailed a great performance. Zeta-Jones after doing all those Nextel Commercials it is great to see her come out and just do an amazing acting job. It was interesting seeing the movie in a full house mainly filled with woman. In one scene Jones walks in wearing a red dress and all the woman almost gasped. Without these two actors this movie would have fell and the comedy would have been flat, the talent and charisma of the two leads made this movie a romantic comedy gem.

Directing/Writing: Coen brothers are some interesting guys, I really have enjoyed everything they have made. Especially the under rated The Man Who Wasn't There. I loved this script it's brilliant it pokes fun at the LA powerful and the movie should have been called Love and War in Los Angeles. Everyone in the movie has too much money to know what to do with and its shows you can be as rich as God, but if you don't have love, it is pointless. Hell yeah that kicks ass. I did have some problems, there are parts in this movie that do go flat. Comedy is hard and now that audiences have been brain washed by idiot comedy which includes every Adam Sandler movie ever made. So to have intelligent comedy with a mix of other stuff is difficult. Cedric The Entertainer (What a name) plays Gus a man hired to film husbands and wife's cheating on each other was affective but one thing annoyed the shit out of me. Once he starts talking the phrase "Nail his ass" was repeated about one million times and got really annoying. Other scenes seem to just stand out and were pointless. (For those who saw the film I am talking about the guy with the train obsession) Otherwise this movie is pure fun and has the feel of an old film where you watch two gorgeous people just do their thing. There are even some surprises late in the film including Billy Bob Thorton playing a Texas oil man, I really enjoyed him in this role. So the Coen brothers always had specks of comedy during some of their other works, this is all comedy and its was a lot of good fun.

Overall: Very good date movie. It really teaches you that love is possibly in LA and money if you think about is pointless. Also if you don't get anything from the movie that is fine because you'll still laugh your ass off.