MovieChat Forums > Intolerable Cruelty (2003) Discussion > Something that doesn't make sense - SPOI...

Something that doesn't make sense - SPOILERS!!!

posted 21 years ago by Jep_Gambardella
10 replies | jump to latest

SPOILERS!!!!

When Catherine ZJ shows up with Billy Bob T, I immediately thought that it was a scam. They have the fancy wedding and I am still thinking it could have been staged with the help of Catherine's wealthy friend. BUT six months later in Vegas George C talks to his colleague about her divorce and how she is now a multi-millionaire. How did he learn about it? There was no divorce, there wasn't even a husband! How do you fake a high profile divorce case from a non-existent oil baron?

Not that it is very important, it didn't take much from my enjoyment of the movie.

Dying ain't much of a living, boy!

[–] Queeg913 21 years ago

perhaps she enlisted the help of freddy in spreading the rumor?

--
"There is no escaping reason, no denying purpose"

[–] Jep_Gambardella 21 years ago

It's possible. It is also possible that she just called him up and told him that she was newly divorced and newly wealthy, but would it have been believable? Wouldn't he have found it strange that there was no independent confirmation? Well, maybe not, he had no reason to suspect anything.

Dying ain't much of a living, boy!

[–] mgbesq 21 years ago

He didn't know about her actual wealth, he presumed that she got rich off of the divorce because he knew what happened to their pre-nup. She was deceiving him from the moment she walked into the casino with the dog (which she admitted was rented).

[–] Programmed-to-Love 21 years ago

This man is correct. Just watch Clooney as Billy Bob eats the pre-nup. He realizes right away what's "happening," and begins applauding wildly and yelling, "brilliant!"

Because of CZJ's track record, he obviously knows that she's only going to divorce him and make off with the money. Granted, it was all a scam, and she didn't make off with any money, but Clooney figured she did.

[–] Jep_Gambardella 21 years ago

I know perfectly well what her plan was, and I know that right at the wedding Clooney figured out that CZJ was planning to divorce BB Thornton. My point was: wouldn't Clooney have thought it strange that a multi-millionaire gets divorced and there is nothing on the news? He is after all a top divorce lawyer who, one would assume, would hear about such a high-profile case. Wouldn't the fact that he didn't hear ANYTHING about the divorce (other than what she presumably told him herself) be suspicious?

Dying ain't much of a living, boy!

[–] DylanM 21 years ago

>"He is after all a top divorce lawyer who, one would assume, would hear about such a high-profile case.?"

It's possible that had this divorce taken place, the asset split could have been settled in confidentiality, out of court. In such a case, rumour would be the only way Clooney would hear about the extent of her new wealth... which is what happened.

How many times do you out-of-court divorce settlements make the news?

[–] akschneider 21 years ago

I think he believed what he wanted to believe. He wanted to think that Ms. Rexroth had just taken this oil baron for his money and was now available. At the dinner scene after the elevator scene he presupposes that Ms. Rexroth is lonely and in need of companionship. Miles has money and thinks she does as well so it wouldn't be an issue anymore.

My questions are more technical. Is there a lawyer out there? I didn't think that just tearing up a written contract makes it null and void. Also, just because they didn't sign a prenup, wouldn't Miles have AMPLE evidence to suggest that Ms. Rexroth was only after his money - incedentally, the same successful defense used in the previous litigation with Ms. Rexroth. I'm sure you can use evidence from previous marriages to establish a character trait like "marrying someone for money".

Whatever, I'm looking way into this. Enjoyable movie, not anything special. CZJ looks amazing.

[–] rollvieh 21 years ago

Ah, but Miles knew about that character trait of hers, she wasn't deceiving him. And it was on record that he knew about it...

Dogs are sons of bitches.

[–] authorkeqm 19 years ago

Remember when he's in the casino with his friend with his lawyer friend for the conference. That's when the friend said he just ran into Freddy Bender (HER lawyer) who told him that the divorce was final and that she was rich -- right after that she walks down the stairs with the rented dog.

[–] nutsberryfarm 11 years ago

makes sense.

Where there's smoke, there's barbecue!