MovieChat Forums > Intolerable Cruelty (2003) Discussion > I have to say, and I'm sure I'll get fla...

I have to say, and I'm sure I'll get flamed for this...

posted 20 years ago by Otis-9
88 replies | jump to latest

But this movie seriously gets better and better every time I see it. It's simply hilarious, and although it's different (I don't mean better or worse) than the Coen's other films, it's still a damn fine movie. Every time it has been on lately I try to make sure I catch at least a few minutes. This movie would be nothing without Clooney, whose razor sharp delivery of lines and amusing facial expressions completely made this movie work. Some great, GREAT quotable lines too...

"Freddy, are you NUTS? You're forgetting about Kershner!"
"Baby Field Greens" "What did you call me??"
"Heinz, the Baron Krauss von Espy"
"She Specificated a -SILLY- man..."
"I told him it was a no go..."
"Everybody likes berries"

I could go on and on, but I won't. I just wanted to say that I thought this movie was great, just as good as any of their other films. People seem to REALLY hate Clooney, though, no matter what he's in, which I just don't understand. He's not the amusing painter from the Facts of Life anymore, people!

[–] gronsad 20 years ago

To take a line from Kill Bill:

You don't compare a Coen Bros. film to other Coen Bros. films. You compare it to every other movie that has ever been made.

This is probably the funniest romantic comedy I have ever seen. Same thing with Jersey Girl. Kevin Smith gets criticized for making an excellent movie that is different from his R-rated comedy routine.

I don't understand why this movie is hated, and to an even worse degree, The Ladykillers remake.

[–] theRabidChild 20 years ago

I agree 100%

I come on the Intolerable Cruelty boards when I'm having a bad day at work, so that I can re-read all the funny dialogue. Then, I go home and watch the dvd.

The first time I saw it, wasn't convinced, but every time I re-watch it, I find yet another really hilarious section I missed previously.

I think Clooney is a genius in this film - his performance is just so perfectly pitched.

[–] gronsad 20 years ago

Definitely. Clooney really knows how to deliver fast-paced intelligent dialogue, like in From Dusk Till Dawn and O Brother.

I'm not a big Catherine Zeta Jones Douglas etc. etc. etc. fan, but they also got great performances from Geoffrey Rush and Billy Bob.

Update:
I just realized that we strung together three positive posts about this movie from unique users. Is that some kind of record?

[–] theRabidChild 20 years ago

I know! No rabid Coen brother fans complaining about how bad this is compared to their other films. I shouldn't have said anything - they'll probably start the flaming here...

[–] sexy_superstud 20 years ago

I definitely enjoyed the movie. The two main stars are undoubtedly beautiful to look at, and the story is full of delicious sin and decadence.

Guys, please check out my IMDB User comment, "It Should Have Been Titled Down With Love" ...

[–] kickthebaby-nl 20 years ago

I loved both this movie (Which DOES actually get better the more you see it, a rare type of movie) and Ladykillers.

[–] sexy_superstud 20 years ago

I totally agree, "Intolerable Cruelty" increases with age. Like rich red wine.

[–] sean-140 20 years ago

I saw it today for the first time. Very funny and enjoyable, I look forward to repeated viewings. I'M GONNA NAIL YO ASS!

[–] krj47 13 years ago

This movie gives me something new to crack up about every time I see it.

[–] mareller-1 12 years ago

Correct you are! Don't compare Coen Brothers movies with one another AND this movie is hilarious, well-cast, and a gem on its own!!

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Karaipora 20 years ago

I thought the movie was great. Catherine Zeta-Jones has never looked sexier (with the possible exception of the laser scenes in Entrapment) and George Clooney cotinues to impress me as an actor. I could go on and on citing all of the things that I liked about this movie. I don't know why people have to come on and act like they know everything there is to know about movies and if one paricular movie doesn't fit their mold it's "The worst movie ever made!" Joel and Ethan Cohen are geniuses....

I'm a ass nailer!!

[–] figg_Z 19 years ago

It took me a while, but I really like it too!

I saw it in the theaters, and I was bored stiff, but I watched it again recently--after seeing a few other cohen brothers' films--and found it so funny.
It is good to see Clooney in another goofy, big-eyed,comic-disaster, exaggerated character role. No more of this flawless debonaire-types. Give me a OH Brother!

It's great to see recurring actors in the Cohen Brothers Films. Go and watch THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE, then watch INTOLERABLE CRUELTY. Billy Bob Thorton plays some pretty different roles in each film.

[–] dumbblonde416 19 years ago

I liked Clooney's performance in this but CZJ's performance was what held it all together! GO CATHERINE! I am her #1 fan lol

[–] andrew-boeck 19 years ago

I agree this movie was better than I excepted it to be. I thought it was funny and well acted. As someone pointed out on this board Clooney's delivery is great. I liked the Ladykillers until they tried to kill the old lady, I know that was the whole plot of the movie but I found the planning and robbery funnier.

[–] Barry_Jive 19 years ago

Just watched it, I wasn't blown away but I definitley enjoyed it.

"Flatley my dear, I don't Riverdance!" - Sir Alan of Partridge

[–] Six-Shooter 13 years ago

I'm a fan any time J.K. Simmons gets a role.

The knack to flying lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.

[–] doctor5arms 19 years ago

I think 'intolerable cruelty' is hilarious. It was pretty obvious to me when i heard that alot of so-called coen fans didnt like it. Most of them are just looking in one direction while the coens are changing things up and throwing us something else. I wasnt a big fan of the ladykillers, but I don't think that their talent is declining because of it. they have their ups and downs just like everybody else. 'cruelty' was great and I'm glad a few others agree with me on this.

[–] drg847 19 years ago

All we've learned from you, and this film, is that people enjoy ABSOLUTE guff.

It was rubbish. The twisted brainwrong of a one-off man mental.

[–] dan-508 19 years ago

How incoherent.

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] really_big_hair_and_cool 19 years ago

I loved (almost) every minute of it (I only disliked the whole "Ass" TV show idea and how they end on it). I was pleasently surprised at how dark it was. I thought that Wheezy Joe death scene was great. I have yet to see THE LADYKILLERS but I want to see what everyone's complaining about. I think it looks like another chance for the Coens to be really dark and have Tom Hanks be funny.

Future butterfly, gonna spend the day higher than high.....

[–] Six-Shooter 13 years ago

Okay, I see you're new to cognitive thinking. In order to form sentences, yes, you DO combine words like you did here but the words have to be, in some way, related. "The twisted brainwrong of a one-off man mental" makes absolutely no sense. Are you, perhaps, dyslexic? If so, I mean no offense.

The knack to flying lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.

[–] markekeller 12 years ago

The man's not stupid, he's making a (somewhat obscure) cultural allusion. It's a quotation. Look it up!

[–] jefcat 19 years ago

I absolutely agree. I came to this movie with rather low expectations because the word of mouth had been pretty bad.

But I thought it was funny - snappy dialogue and a fast pace in a Howard Hawks way and it's gotten better each time I watched it.

I love Clooney in this too. I like him in most everything, but I thought he excelled here. Genuinely funny both in the way he delivered the dialogue and in some of the physical comedy scenes like the confrontation with Wheezy Joe.

[–] TheRetroCritic 19 years ago

I can't believe this film is so underrated, I personally find it hilarious, clever and very off beat. Clooney has never been better, Zeta Jones is good and the rest of the cast is simply perfect. Genius.

"It was ZAT silly man!"

Film and Jim Carrey fansite with forum:

http://cablogula.tripod.com

[–] 1011 19 years ago

To take a line from Kill Bill:

You don't compare a Coen Bros. film to other Coen Bros. films. You compare it to every other movie that has ever been made.

This is probably the funniest romantic comedy I have ever seen. Same thing with Jersey Girl. Kevin Smith gets criticized for making an excellent movie that is different from his R-rated comedy routine.

I don't understand why this movie is hated, and to an even worse degree, The Ladykillers remake.

You're absolutely right, this film should be looked at for its own merits and not downgraded because it doesn't match up to the other Coen films.

I think romance films and particularly romantic comedies, are really difficult for film makers to do well. If the chemistry doesn't work and isn't consistent all the way through, then the film wont work and will be ruined for the audience - it's not really something you can just hash over. The chemistry between CZJ and George Clooney is just brilliant and this added to the wonderful dialogue ( the Coens allways manage to be clever and silly at the same time) and superior directing make this an extremely enjoyable film.

And I too think Jersey Girl is underated. I'm a big Kevin Smith fan and I like the fact he is so versatile.

I think this film is great, not my favourite Coen film by a long shot, but it still deserves positve recogniion.

A dirty mind is a terrible thing to waste

[–] mattconnellan 19 years ago

You can add another Intolerable Cruelty fan to the list. It pains me whenever people say they don't like this. It's usually either Coen movie buffs who don't want to see them do romantic comedy, or people who want to see a stock romantic comedy and don't want to see the Coen's unique touch. One of the best thing about the Coens is that they change their movie style with almost every release, and they never get stuck in a rut.
Well, this movie is pure bliss. Miles Massey's complete disrespect of all other attorneys that are against him and his methods for winning cases are hilarious. The entire scene in which he and Freddy Bender do the preliminary discussions about the Rexroth divorce is one of the funniest scenes I have seen in a movie. The part where he purposely drinks from the glass of water right after asking how much Marilyn wants just so he can spit it all over the table just sums up his character, and makes me laugh my a** off to boot.

[–] corolladisser 15 years ago

Agree 100 % Romantic comedies really rely on chemistry and humor, but if the chemistry is off, whether it be between two lovers, or friends, the whole thing can be ruined regardless of the script. I think the script is just brilliant, and the chemistry is brilliant, between Clooney and Adelstein, but even more so with CZJ. The two leads are simply brilliant in this film

[–] MorriganVamp 19 years ago

I think this movie is hilarious. It's so funny.

Everytime I watch it on HBO I love watching Clooney's reactions. They are fantastic.

I think it's sad that no one seemed to like it cause I thought it was classic.

[–] ultra0 19 years ago

This movie is seriously underrated. Many people went into it wanting to hate it.

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www.miabifilms.com

[–] jaquesburton 19 years ago

I want to thank all the people out there who hated this movie. Because of you I waited until just last night watch it, and got a tremendous treat!

I should never have doubted the Coen brothers. Dark, funny, and uncoventional as usual.

If you was a mo-ron, I suppose you cd'almost andmire it. (Sheriff, kbv1)

[–] cinesimonj 11 years ago

Look at you all, congratulating yourselves.