Critic Reviews
Intolerable Cruelty (2003) Rank 5 Reviews
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Contra Costa Times (Mary F. Pols)
Reminds us how good romantic comedy can be, but interestingly enough, it's not a particularly romantic movie. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Contra Costa Times (Mary F. Pols)
Flipside Movie Emporium (Rob Vaux)
As satire, Intolerable Cruelty can be a little stale at times. Lawyers and scheming wives are hardly new targets, and though the trappings are brilliant, the core never rises above Hollywood run-of-the-mill. It's a testament to the filmmakers ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Flipside Movie Emporium (Rob Vaux)
Reel Movie Critic (Demetrius Payne)
CineMe (Daniel Meyer)
Eclipse Magazine (Sean O'Connell)
Despite the films conventional comedic material, were still rooted firmly in Coen Brothers territory. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Eclipse Magazine (Sean O'Connell)
CineMe (Daniel Meyer)
Killer Movie Reviews (Andrea Chase)
When the Coen Brothers get it right, there are no better filmmakers going, and with INTOLERABLE CRUELTY, they are at the top of their game. With an irreverent touch, they spin a tale of true love that includes all the melodrama, farce, and heartbreak ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Killer Movie Reviews (Andrea Chase)
Sun Publications (Chicago, IL) (Josh Larsen)
...a sugary romantic comedy tempered by the Coens' sardonic touch. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Sun Publications (Chicago, IL) (Josh Larsen)
Empire Magazine (--)
Perth Sunday Times
Private Joker's Head (Zach Ralston)
Looking Closer (Jeffrey Overstreet)
It's not a home run, but the Coens have hit a solidly entertaining triple here with a smart script, outrageous antics, and an unforgettable performance by George Clooney, who proves himself to be a comic genius at the peak of his powers. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Looking Closer (Jeffrey Overstreet)
The Land of Eric (Eric D. Snider)
As funny as the film is, it is not a classic. It will be funny with a few more viewings, and a few years from now, it will fun to catch 30 minutes of it here and there when it plays endlessly on Comedy Central or somewhere. It doesn't have the sheer ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at The Land of Eric (Eric D. Snider)
The Movie Mom (Nell Minow)
In Bringing Up Baby, a psychiatrist explains that "The love impulse in man frequently reveals itself in terms of conflict." That idea may not always be true of romance, but it is at (where else) the heart of romantic comedy. That conflict is metaphor ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at The Movie Mom (Nell Minow)
Detroit News (Tom Long)
An amiable romp of a movie, a romantic comedy in which romance is plundered and ridiculed while simultaneously longed for. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Detroit News (Tom Long)
Oregonian (Shawn Levy)
A work of gentle, continual hilarity that feels far more ordinary than other Coen works and yet has every bit of the originality and exactness that makes the brothers' best films so wonderful. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Oregonian (Shawn Levy)
Citysearch (Bill Pearis)
The Coens have taken their trademark wit, style and rapid-fire dialogue and refined it into a lean mean laugh machine. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Citysearch (Bill Pearis)
The King's Room (Paul Perkins)
Marriage is a big part in a lot of couples love life and Divorced is another
big part for some couples love life. Anyone who has gotten Divorced knows is not
a easy thing you have to split everything you have between the two of you, so
you will ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at The King's Room (Paul Perkins)
Shannon Patrick Sullivan
Review: The Cary Grant/Katharine Hepburn classic "Bringing Up Baby" is one of my favourite movies, so it's pretty obvious that I've got a soft spot for the screwball comedy. Unfortunately, it's a genre that's particularly difficult to get right if the ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Shannon Patrick Sullivan
MovieWeb (B. Alan Orange)
Spectrum (St. George, Utah) (Bruce Bennett)
Like a Hollywood marriage itself, 'Intolerable Cruelty' is seductive for the moment but the affection doesnt last. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Spectrum (St. George, Utah) (Bruce Bennett)
Movie Gazette (Anton Bitel)
The Coen brothers are capable of better, but when it takes other Hollywood competition to court, 'Intolerable Cruelty' comes out with the winning verdict. Mainstream enough to get a general audience, quirky enough to keep fans of 'Raising Arizona' and ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Movie Gazette (Anton Bitel)
Bucket Reviews (Danny Baldwin)
MovieWeb (Justin Case)
ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
I haven't liked every film the Coens have made, but even the least impressive title on their resume can at least claim to be interesting. Intolerable Cruelty is one of their better comedies, and, once 2003 has drawn to a close, it will ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
Susan Granger
Clooney plays Miles Massey, a suave divorce attorney who continually obsesses over his pearly white teeth, while ZetaJones is beautiful Marylin Rexroth, a sexy, golddigging serial divorcee. When Miles' underhanded courtroom tactics cost Marilyn a hefty ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Susan Granger
New York Post (Megan Lehmann)
But the outlandish characters that cavort on the fringes are sublime, particularly a swishy concierge witness (Jonathan Hadary), the superannuated founder of Massey's law firm (Tom Aldredge), and the hit man Wheezy Joe, whose untimely demise provides ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at New York Post (Megan Lehmann)
Austin Chronicle (Marrit Ingman)
Forget for a moment the title, which is reminiscent of late-night cablecore, and the above-the-title star wattage. This is a Coen brothers movie. The snappy screwball patter, the cinemacrobatics of cameraman Roger Deakins, the gently satirical poking of ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Austin Chronicle (Marrit Ingman)
Movie Habit (Matt Anderson)
Oddly enough, in Massey and his desire to settle down, this satire manages to find more genuine character and romance than the latest rash of stale romantic comedies, including such run-of-the-mill fare as How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and Life or ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Movie Habit (Matt Anderson)
Window to the Movies (Jeffrey Chen)
It's strange for me to view Intolerable Cruelty at this time in my movie-going life. For the last few years, I had voiced displeasure at the general inaccessibility of movies by the Coen brothers, arguing that their plots had no focus and their ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Window to the Movies (Jeffrey Chen)
Film Quips Online (John R. McEwen)
Although I am often the first guy to berate directors for not living up to their previously established potential (check my review of any George Lucas movie), I can also understand that artists, like everybody else, have highs and lows in their ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Film Quips Online (John R. McEwen)
Movie Navigator (Shaun Sages)
Monkeyboy Review
I hate romantic comedies. Why? Because... hang on, I think I've done this before. Yeah, I have. Anyway, I don't like 'em not just as a rule of thumb but also probably as a rule of thumb and all four fingers. A sort of rule of fist. Which sounds dead ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Monkeyboy Review
Denver Rocky Mountain News (Robert Denerstein)
Better in its setup than in its resolution, Intolerable Cruelty nonetheless provides laughs and a fine comic performance from George Clooney. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Denver Rocky Mountain News (Robert Denerstein)
Average Joes (Joe Lavers)
Good laughs, great chemistry, and some awesome cameos make Intolerable Cruelty a fun ride. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Average Joes (Joe Lavers)
ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
For whatever reason, the Coen Brothers' comedies (such as Raising Arizona, The Hudsucker Proxy, and The Big Lebowski) have always garnered less critical attention than the filmmakers' more serious fare (such as Blood Simple, Barton Fink, and Fargo). Never ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
Film Threat, Hollywood's Indie Voice
At some point during the development process for Intolerable Cruelty, the Coen brothers supposedly told producer/Ron Howard enabler Brian Grazer that the movie didn't really seem like their kind of project. That, Grazer told them, was exactly why they ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Film Threat, Hollywood's Indie Voice
Dallas Morning News (Philip Wuntch)
Testimony to the power of old-style star wattage. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Dallas Morning News (Philip Wuntch)
Days of Thunder (Travis Hoover)
San Francisco Chronicle (Ruthe Stein)
San Francisco Chronicle (Ruthe Stein)
JoBlo's Movie Emporium ("JoBlo")
I tried as hard as I could not to look at this film as a "Coen bros movie", but goddamnit, their names are all over the place, as writers, producers, directors...yet, unlike all of their other unique projects, other people's names are next to theirs, ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at JoBlo's Movie Emporium ("JoBlo")
MovieWeb (Derek May)
Considering the divorce rate in this country it's a wonder this film hasn't been made before. I mean, what's more American than marrying for money-- hell, we've got hit TV shows solely dedicated to it. But while divorce isn't new, the relationships in ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at MovieWeb (Derek May)
DVDActive (Richard Schuchardt)
Intolerable Cruelty turned out to be a surprise package for me; I mentioned earlier that I am not a huge fan of the Coen Brothers’ previous movies so I wasn’t expecting much. However, the fact that I did enjoy this film probably goes to ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at DVDActive (Richard Schuchardt)
DVD Clinic ("Indiana Sev")
A suave and unscrupulous divorce attorney (is there any other kind?) bored with his job and lifestyle gets a real hard shot of adrenalin when he meets a gold-digging beauty and falls in love. They both must then figure out if trust and love can ever ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at DVD Clinic ("Indiana Sev")
Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
Although it will probably be seen as the least "Coen" of the Coen brothers films, Intolerable Cruelty is still unmistakably theirs. Like many of their previous films (Hudsucker Proxy, Miller's Crossing, Barton Fink, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, T ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
ShowBIZ Data
Although many critics suggest that the Coen Brothers' Intolerable Cruelty is their most commercial film to date, few seem to believe it will have much commercial success, even though it stars Catherine Zeta-Jones and George Clooney. Nevertheless, most ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at ShowBIZ Data
Swimming to Casablanca - sprint reviews
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New York Times (Elvis Mitchell)
An intelligent, modern screwball comedy. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at New York Times (Elvis Mitchell)
Film Values/Family Values (H. Arthur Taussig)
Jam! Movies (Liz Braun)
Pretty to look at, really and truly funny, streaked with cynicism and chock full of talent. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Jam! Movies (Liz Braun)
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) (Ken Hanke)
It's finally Clooney's show and he manages to make you believe there are at least four balls in the juggling act even when there are only two. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) (Ken Hanke)
Las Vegas Weekly (Josh Bell)
The thing that gets you in the end is the sheer joy the Coens bring to the film, even polishing someone else's story and working with big Hollywood stars. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Las Vegas Weekly (Josh Bell)
Greenwich Village Gazette (Eric Lurio)
Hollywood Jesus Visual Reviews
Reviewguy Online (Sean Chandler)
Joe Critic.com (Sam Bear)
Reel Film Reviews (David Nusair)
The Boston Phoenix
artechock (Rüdiger Suchsland)
Three Movie Buffs (Scott Nash)
As an admitted attempt to imitate the screwball romantic comedies of the 1930s, Intolerable Cruelty works with some success as a comedy. As a romance, however, it falls far short of its goal. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Three Movie Buffs (Scott Nash)
Arizona Daily Star (Phil Villarreal)
There's snappy dialogue, delightfully off-center acting and a pulsing thoroughfare of cynicism. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Arizona Daily Star (Phil Villarreal)
Boston Globe
I'm not sure who said it first, but whoever did was right: The world doesn't need any more lawyers. What it needs is more movie stars playing lawyers. I think Joel and Ethan Coen are with me on this one. For ''Intolerable Cruelty,'' they've hired ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Boston Globe
Film Freak Central (Bill Chambers)
Half the pleasure of Intolerable Cruelty is watching the Coens play it safe ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Film Freak Central (Bill Chambers)
Hollywood Report Card (Ross Anthony)
With a giddy, chin-up, straight-face delivery, the film is deadpan silly. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Hollywood Report Card (Ross Anthony)
Q Network Film Desk (James Kendrick)
Intolerable Cruelty is the first Coen Brothers movie that doesnt really feel like a Coen Brothers movie. Most of their signature elements are thereexaggerated characters, witty dialogue, a strangely twisty plotbut it all feels dialed down. That does ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Q Network Film Desk (James Kendrick)
Los Angeles Daily News (Glenn Whipp)
Further proof that the Coens can take any genre -- in this case, a star-driven screwball comedy -- and make it work without sacrificing their unique sensibility in the process. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Los Angeles Daily News (Glenn Whipp)
Zertinet Movies (Steven Snyder)
Deep Focus (Bryant Frazer)
It's a little ironic that, in an apparent bid for mainstream credibility with a major studio, rather than extending their talents in directions suggested by the excellently accessible The Big Lebowski and O Brother, Where Art Thou?, the Coen brothers ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Deep Focus (Bryant Frazer)
ViewLondon (Matthew Turner)
Enjoyable screwball comedy that will please some but is a slight disappointment, given the high standards set by the Coens previous movies.Intolerable Cruelty is a Coen Brothers movie with a difference, in that they didnt originate the idea and only ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at ViewLondon (Matthew Turner)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Duane Dudek)
An oversize screwball comedy in the Big Lebowski tradition. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Duane Dudek)
Hollywood.com (Leigh Johnson)
Intolerable Cruelty may not be the Coen brothers' best work, but it's still several steps above the other romantic comedies Hollywood's churned out in recent memory. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Hollywood.com (Leigh Johnson)
Bullz-Eye.com
While this movie may scream "sell out" to those hardcore Coen fans out there, the overall product isn't so bad. You'll find plenty of laughs scattered throughout, but in the end this probably won't make a lasting impression on you. "Intolerable ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Bullz-Eye.com
d+kaz. Intelligent Movie Reviews (Daniel Kasman)
The great thing about great filmmakers is that even their worst work is better than the majority of films out there. Case in point is Intolerable Cruelty, without a doubt the Coen brothers most frivolous, off-hand, flawed, and least important ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at d+kaz. Intelligent Movie Reviews (Daniel Kasman)
Minneapolis Star Tribune (Colin Covert)
Intolerable Cruelty isn't half as clever as most Coen films ... but it's much more likable. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Minneapolis Star Tribune (Colin Covert)
Denver Post (Lisa Kennedy)
Watching Clooney's Miles and Zeta-Jones' Marylin eye each other is a simmering pleasure. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Denver Post (Lisa Kennedy)
Salt Lake Tribune (Sean Means)
The joy of Intolerable Cruelty is in watching Clooney deconstruct his suave screen persona, that mix of Cary Grant cool and Dean Martin hip, in front of your very eyes. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Salt Lake Tribune (Sean Means)
Movie Gazette (Gary Panton)
A break from the norm for the Coen boys, but this so-so attempt at an old-school screwballer only just manages pass marks. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Movie Gazette (Gary Panton)
Laramie Movie Scope (Robert Roten)
The story does go a little overboard near the end of the film as a hit man is hired to kill a person involved in a divorce case. Some may complain about the film's sentimentality. You have to have a certain amount of sentimentality if you are going to ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Laramie Movie Scope (Robert Roten)
Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
Clooney is definitely the man of these two hours. His portrait of a shark in love is a model of classy comic acting. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
Charlotte Observer (Lawrence Toppman)
Zeta-Jones dominates the movie. She has never looked so radiant, and acting is almost beside the point. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Charlotte Observer (Lawrence Toppman)
Karina Montgomery
However, the magic between them was so bogged down by story and character issues I just wanted to cry. As did my companion. Clearly this movie was tested to death, or at least, to the death of the Coen's trademark magic. The film begins with the ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Karina Montgomery
Steve Rhodes
Just as ambitious as Miles is Marylin Rexroth (Catherine ZetaJones), a gold digger who likes marrying really rich, really dumb guys whom she can divorce before their first anniversary, preferably their first monthly anniversary. But she's a woman with ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Steve Rhodes
Tyler Morning Telegraph (Texas) (Mark Collette)
The Coens ... have taken a typically trite target for ridicule and splayed it out for an attack from outer space, where Coen brothers scripts tend to originate. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Tyler Morning Telegraph (Texas) (Mark Collette)
New York Daily News (Jack Mathews)
If Intolerable Cruelty isn't a convincing love story, it's a hugely entertaining one. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at New York Daily News (Jack Mathews)
Seattle Times (Moira MacDonald)
Wonderfully fluffy concoction. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Seattle Times (Moira MacDonald)
Christian Science Monitor (David Sterritt)
Seven years have passed since Joel and Ethan Coen struck gold with "Fargo," still regarded by many as their best movie. Recent pictures such as "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" and "The Man Who Wasn't There" made far smaller splashes, pointing to a clear ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Christian Science Monitor (David Sterritt)
Creative Loafing (Matt Brunson)
Clooney, in one of his best screen turns to date, exhibits the right degree of screwball aptitude. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Creative Loafing (Matt Brunson)
FilmStew.com review (Larry Carroll)
Intolerable Cruelty
Brothers Joel and Ethan Coen, otherwise known as âThe Two-Headed Director,â reunite with George Clooney and Billy Bob Thornton for their latest madcap romp. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at FilmStew.com review (Larry Carroll)
Detroit Free Press (Terry Lawson)
Clooney and Zeta-Jones make for a glamorous couple, and there is enough chemistry between them that you might find yourself wondering if Michael Douglas has a Miles Massey prenup. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Detroit Free Press (Terry Lawson)
Aisle Seat (Mike McGranaghan)
This film is like a Trojan horse; it pretends to be all cute and cuddly, but underneath that façade are some very large fangs. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Aisle Seat (Mike McGranaghan)
Christian Science Monitor (David Sterritt)
Bangor Daily News (Maine) (Christopher Smith)
The film has a lot going for it - a gem of a premise and one of the most outrageous laughs tucked into a movie this year - but it ultimately comes up short. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Bangor Daily News (Maine) (Christopher Smith)
Kalamazoo Gazette (James Sanford)
Watching this all play out is like snacking on meringue cookies and champagne: You'll certainly enjoy it, but you're likely to crave something a bit more substantial later on. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Kalamazoo Gazette (James Sanford)
Kansas City Star (Robert W. Butler)
As he showed in O Brother, Where Art Thou? Clooney has become a first-class comic performer, one eager to blow off his matinee-idol looks and indulge his characters' inner idiocies. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Kansas City Star (Robert W. Butler)
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Inside the satirical "Intolerable Cruelty," there's a Hugh Grant romantic comedy fighting to get free and light up the screen with easy answers and comforting emotions. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Hollywood Report Card (Ross Anthony)
Given only the stars and the title, you'll no
doubt expect a film much different than the one
you'll see. And at least for me, that's a good
thing.
With a giddy, chin-up, straight-face delivery, ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Hollywood Report Card (Ross Anthony)
Premiere Magazine (Glenn Kenny)
While it's not nearly as beguiling as the Coen's last pic, the uncanny The Man Who Wasn't There, Cruelty is still a brisk hoot. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Premiere Magazine (Glenn Kenny)
Globe and Mail (Liam Lacey)
If Intolerable Cruelty establishes one thing, it's that George Clooney is the closest thing that contemporary Hollywood has to an old-fashioned matinee idol. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Globe and Mail (Liam Lacey)
Sacramento Bee (Joe Baltake)
It's fun to watch fabulous-looking, confident people trying to finesse each other into a corner. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Sacramento Bee (Joe Baltake)
Toronto Star
Directed by Joel Coen. At major theatres. PG
If you're going to take comic aim at a target as big and obvious as Beverly Hills matrimonial combat, the least you can do is what Joel and Ethan Coen do in their neo-screwball anti-romantic comedy ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Toronto Star
NYC Film Critic (Ethan Alter)
Intolerable Cruelty was supposed to be the Coens first mainstream movie and while its certainly more "ordinary" than their previous features, it's clear almost immediately that the film still takes place in Coenville. You can see it in the little visual ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at NYC Film Critic (Ethan Alter)
Philadelphia Inquirer
Miles Massey boasts dentition to die for. His pearly whites are his pride and joy, and he checks them, brushes them, guides his tongue approvingly across them, as if his livelihood depended on their preternatural gleam. Which, in a way, in the ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Philadelphia Inquirer
Mediasearch, Australia
Joel and Ethan Coen give us a screwball comedy, something looked upon less favourably than their more serious filmmaking. Their intelligent and offbeat films have been underrated. I wouldn't think that âIntolerable Crueltyâ would be treated that way, ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Mediasearch, Australia
Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
Near the end of this smart, speedy romantic farce, the comic engine hits a wall and sputters. Until then, this Coen brothers film -- easily their silliest -- is fueled by a screwball fizz that keeps the laughs popping. It helps that the stars are ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
Las Vegas Review-Journal (Carol Cling)
Xiibaro Productions (David Perry)
ESpy.ca (Andrew Dignan)
Having learned from their last flirtation with big money1994's Joel Silver produced The Hudsucker Proxy, which with its stylized set design and arch-Capra homages was a costly bombthe Coens have made a film with an easy to market premise and two ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at ESpy.ca (Andrew Dignan)
filmcritic.com (Christopher Null)
How can you not love the Coen brothers? The sibling creators of some of cinema's most classic films -- Fargo, Blood Simple, O Brother, Where Art Thou? -- are back at it, this time with their strangest production yet.
Oh, I don't mean strange as in ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at filmcritic.com (Christopher Null)
Boston Herald (David Brudnoy)
Reel.com
Half the fun of watching a Coen brothers movie is not knowing what to feel about it. It's like that Janeane Garofalo bit about someone watching a Mentos commercial for the first time—"What the f*@k? Is this German?"
Whether it's a ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Reel.com
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Film Blather (Eugene Novikov)
Intolerable Cruelty made me laugh harder than anything else this year, but it might also be the film I will forget the fastest. So slight that it almost melts as you watch it, the Coen Brothers' fourth pure comedy is a far cry from their last effort, the ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Film Blather (Eugene Novikov)
Poffy The Cucumber's Movie Mania
Playing smitten lawyer Miles Massey with the graceful aplomb of a suave Jerry Lewis, Clooney takes his pretty-boy image on a fringe journey of impeccable comedic exactitude, pursuing gold-digging ice-queen, Marilyn (Catherine Zeta-Jones playing her usual ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Poffy The Cucumber's Movie Mania
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Nick's Flick Picks (Nick Davis)
The luscious colors and witty vantages of Deakins images, then, or the arrhythmic editing of Roderick Jaynes (the Coens longstanding pseudonym) become just as cosmetic as Clooneys suave smile, and delivering a promise just as false as the ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Nick's Flick Picks (Nick Davis)
eFilmCritic.com (Elaine Perrone)
That a Coen film would be 'just tolerable' is terribly disappointing. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at eFilmCritic.com (Elaine Perrone)
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Panorama (Louis-Jrme Cloutier)
[Ce film] est tout ce que lon ne veut pas voir les Coen faire dans leur futur, mais aussi le genre de comédie romantique que lon souhaiterait voir plus souvent. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Panorama (Louis-Jrme Cloutier)
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Steve Rhodes <Steve.Rhodes@internetreviews.com>
The Coen brothers,EthanandJoel, make significant strides towards classic "screwball" territory withIntolerable Cruelty, a much more tolerable comedy than we've been led to believe."Screwball," that rarely achieved and beautiful classification of comedy, ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Steve Rhodes <Steve.Rhodes@internetreviews.com>
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"The Coens just couldn't nail this one down." ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)
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The Filmsnobs (Stephen Himes)
Offoffoff -- The Guide to Alternative New York
For fans of creative cinema, let's hope the heavy-on-style, heavy-on-smugness "Intolerable Cruelty" is simply a bump in the road for the Coens and that their next film (a remake of the classic Ealing Studios black comedy "The Ladykillers") will ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Offoffoff -- The Guide to Alternative New York
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Movierapture (Keith Allen)
MovieMaze (Markus Ostertag)
USA Today (Claudia Puig)
Film Freak Central
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Steve Murray)
A display of two high-wattage stars sweating to enliven a paper-thin script that substitutes plot twists for an engaging story. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Steve Murray)
RopeofSilicon (Brad Brevet)
The battle of the sexes is taken to a new level once Miles Massey (Clooney) and Marylin Rexroth (Zeta-Jones) meet in a battle of the sexes on a personal and professional level in Intolerable Cruelty. Cruelty follows Miles Massey, a prominent LA divorce ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at RopeofSilicon (Brad Brevet)
Reno Gazette-Journal (Forrest Hartman)
Has worthwhile moments, including an excellent performance by [George] Clooney, but the plotting is contrived. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Reno Gazette-Journal (Forrest Hartman)
Film Threat, Hollywood's Indie Voice
As they made clear with The Hudsucker Proxy, Joel and Ethan Coen have a thing for the stylish, rapid-fire screwball comedies of the 30s and 40s. As reflected by the film's reception, it's fair to say the rest of the planet was cautious not to ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Film Threat, Hollywood's Indie Voice
Moda Magazine (Brian Orndorf)
Heading back into Coen territory (after "O Brother") is George Clooney, proving once again that if he bounces between working with Steven Soderbergh and the Coens for the rest of his career, he will reach unattainable heights as an actor. Filled with ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Moda Magazine (Brian Orndorf)
Style Weekly (Richmond, VA) (Thomas Peyser)
A competent bit of work from which striking originality and idiosyncrasy have mostly been pruned away. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Style Weekly (Richmond, VA) (Thomas Peyser)
St. Paul Pioneer Press (Chris Hewitt)
I don't mean to overstate the film's flaws. It is fun, but in such a clinical way that you could quantify the experience of watching it: eight big laughs, 20 chuckles and six draggy parts. And, although it's the Coens' biggest romance on paper, you ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at St. Paul Pioneer Press (Chris Hewitt)
Movie-Vault.com (Avril Carruthers)
Jigsaw Lounge (Neil Young)
Intol.: tol.24th October, 2003(seen same day, UGC Cinema, Boldon)for a longer version of this review, clickherebyNeil ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Jigsaw Lounge (Neil Young)
Channel 4 Film (--)
Hardcore fans of the Coen brothers would be well within their rights to be somewhat fearful of Intolerable Cruelty. The script originated years ago with writing team Robert Ramsey and Matthew Stone (Life and Big Trouble), and was subsequently given a ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Channel 4 Film (--)
Boston Herald (James Verniere)
Lee's Movie Info (Lee Tistaert)
Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
The camera just stands there and gawks at Catherine Zeta-Jones, and so does George Clooney, and so do we. She goes on the list with Ava Gardner and Deborah Kerr. It's not a long list. She ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
Unfashionable Observations
stylusmagazine.com (Josh Timmermann)
Reeling Reviews with Laura & Robin Clifford
TV Guide's Movie Guide (Maitland McDonagh)
Zeta-Jones and Clooney, movie stars in the best sense of the term, pitch their performances perfectly. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at TV Guide's Movie Guide (Maitland McDonagh)
Orlando Sentinel (Roger Moore)
A frustratingly sharp misfire that comes close to being hilarious but never quite clicks in its pacing, timing or tone. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Orlando Sentinel (Roger Moore)
Arizona Republic (Bill Muller)
Little more than an exercise in mimicry, an empty if stylish exercise in mocking sendup. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Arizona Republic (Bill Muller)
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (Jack Garner)
Offers tolerable comedy, but in less surprising or demanding ways than Coen fans might expect. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (Jack Garner)
Los Angeles Times (Kenneth Turan)
So clever, so funny, so suavely entertaining that it comes as a shock to realize that it's not nearly as satisfying as all those qualities would lead you to believe. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Los Angeles Times (Kenneth Turan)
Orlando Weekly (Steve Schneider)
It's one of those movies you recommend to a friend, then spend the next five minutes cataloging its flaws. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Orlando Weekly (Steve Schneider)
Netflix (James Rocchi)
Gorgeous, commercial Coen brothers romantic comedy has A-list luster and plenty of laughs, but is a little lacking. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Netflix (James Rocchi)
Daytona Beach News-Journal (Fl.) (Jeff Farance)
Roanoke Times (Virginia) (Beth Jones)
Watching the Coens join forces with Hollywood producer Brian Grazer for this star-driven comedy is the equivalent of Justin Timberlake hooking up with Bob Dylan for an album of duets, but it works pretty darn well. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Roanoke Times (Virginia) (Beth Jones)
Jam! Movies (Louis B. Hobson)
It's so refreshing to get such clever dialogue delivered with such confidence and panache. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Jam! Movies (Louis B. Hobson)
Nitrate Online (Gregory Avery and Nicholas Schager)
CineFile : il Cinema in Rete (Mariela Bernardini)
cinEncanto (Pablo del Moral)
Xi-online (Ferdi Verweij)
Ciné-club de Caen (Jean-Luc Lacuve)
Boxoffice Magazine
Boxoffice Magazine
Pop Entertainment.com
www.filmrecensiepagina.nl (Wilko de Bruin)
Parent Previews
Willingly trading tit-for-tat in the battle for alimony and assets, Miles and Marilyn?s acrimonious interactions do little to uphold the sanctity of marriage. For them, the union is merely a legal license to inflict intolerable cruelty. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Parent Previews
Kvikmyndir.com (Sigpruour Armann)
Hartford Courant (--)
Empire Movies (Brendan Cullin)
Baltimore Sun (--)
Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) (John Beifuss)
The Coens' most experimental film: a 'normal' movie... ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) (John Beifuss)
Tiscali UK
After the commercial and critical success of O Brother, Where Art Thou?, the Coen Brothers have reteamed with George Clooney for a screwball comedy about highly paid divorce lawyers. But the spark is missing this time around: this is very minor Coen ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Tiscali UK
Baltimore Sun (--)
As the Reel Rolls (Malcolm Clark)
The Coen brothers, Ethan and Joel, previously have worked wondrous though controversial miracles in film (Fargo is a towering example). Here, in Intolerable Cruelty, the boys hath wrought something else - a film with fine performances yet trash ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at As the Reel Rolls (Malcolm Clark)
San Diego Union-Tribune (David Elliott)
Yes, there are some funny moments here and there, but the movie never has the point of a real farce. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at San Diego Union-Tribune (David Elliott)
Movie Parables (Michael Elliott)
A romantic cat and mouse game that lets itself get sidetracked and eventually runs out of steam before the final credits. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Movie Parables (Michael Elliott)
Newsday (John Anderson)
As Miles Massey, Clooney brings an absurdist charm -- and some Cary Grant-like gestural hilarity. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Newsday (John Anderson)
Mark R. Leeper
Think of a Coen Brothers film and you usually think of flashy camera moves. Frequently it will have a weird point of view that can be accented with bizarre humor. Almost always the Brothers write their own stories from scratch. All but HUDSUCKER PROXY ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Mark R. Leeper
SPLICEDwire (Rob Blackwelder)
Lobo Howls (Judith Wolfe)
Oh, woe is me! What a disappointment! The Coen brothers ( Joel and Ethan ) attempt to recreate those screwball romantic comedies or yore falls flat on its face. Oh, it has moments of big laughs and kooky characters and is visually and technically right ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Lobo Howls (Judith Wolfe)
Mark Reviews Movies (Mark Dujsik)
Review by Mark Dujsik
There's a first time for everything.
I could confidently say that there was not a Coen brothers film that I
did not enjoy. Until now, that is.
Yes, there is, sadly, a first time for everything.
Intolerable ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Mark Reviews Movies (Mark Dujsik)
DVDAnswers.com - region 2 review (Richard Schuchardt)
Some fans of the Coen Brothers will probably be disappointed by this movie, but there are going to be many more who will lap it up, me being one of them! The past few years have seen a distinct lack of âqualityâ romantic comedies, and while ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at DVDAnswers.com - region 2 review (Richard Schuchardt)
Natural Born Viewers (Andrew Mackay)
I've no idea how marketing departments are run these days, but name-billing isn't one of their strengths. How on Earth Geoffrey Rush and Cedric the Entertainer get top billing is anyone's guess. Between them they share about as much ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Natural Born Viewers (Andrew Mackay)
Harvey S. Karten
The concept is hardly original, derived in part from David Mirkin's cynical "Heartbreakers" just two years ago about motheranddaughter con artists who marry men and take them for everything they're worth in divorce settlements. A mom has her daughter ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Harvey S. Karten
San Jose Mercury News (Bruce Newman)
There are obvious Coen touches, comic Post-it notes from the underground that have a 'Kilroy was here' feel. But mostly, killjoy was here. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at San Jose Mercury News (Bruce Newman)
Miami Herald (Connie Ogle)
Full of malicious fun, weirdness and enough star power to blast through any repetitiveness. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Miami Herald (Connie Ogle)
Houston Chronicle
Intolerable Cruelty is a Coen brothers movie produced by Brian Grazer. What's wrong with this picture?
Grazer is a white-bread purveyor of middlebrow entertainments, the kind of movies your Aunt Ethel loves. OK, he produced ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Houston Chronicle
Providence Journal (Michael Janusonis)
Film Threat (Rick Kisonak)
A decidedly hit or miss deal. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Film Threat (Rick Kisonak)
eFilmCritic.com (Stephen Groenewegen)
RTE Interactive (Dublin, Ireland) (Harry Guerin)
It has some good gags, but then so did The Wedding Singer . ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at RTE Interactive (Dublin, Ireland) (Harry Guerin)
eFilmCritic.com (Stephen Groenewegen)
David N. Butterworth
Art Thou?" surfaced. And I convinced myself further a year later followingthe release of "The Man Who Wasn't There."But I don't believe that anymore."Intolerable Cruelty," a film that is occasionally cruel and almost entirelyintolerable, nails the ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at David N. Butterworth
Jerry Saravia
George Clooney plays a coldhearted divorce lawyer named Miles Massey, who is as concerned with the whiteness of his teeth as he is with the law or his fool proof prenup (one used in law school apparently). When he is in court, he is king of the hill. He ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Jerry Saravia
Palo Alto Online (Jeanne Aufmuth)
George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones in Intolerable Cruelty The red flag went up almost as soon as the credits moved across the screen. Cruelty is not a genuine Coen Brothers product (think Fargo), but rather a collaboration of the brothers, ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Palo Alto Online (Jeanne Aufmuth)
Palo Alto Weekly (Jeanne Aufmuth)
Color me disappointed. I see Coens beneath the title and I expect quality black comedy. ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at Palo Alto Weekly (Jeanne Aufmuth)
CinemaSpeak.com (Dan Tester)
There are few things in the world of cinema that are more anticipated by me than a new Coen Brothers movie. I have never been let down by them (to varying degrees obviously, but always a thumbs up.) They are fascinating to me -- to pin them down to a ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at CinemaSpeak.com (Dan Tester)
MovieCrypt.com (Kevin A. Ranson)
The operative word in this film is 'restrained.' ...read the complete Intolerable Cruelty movie review at MovieCrypt.com (Kevin A. Ranson)
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