Intolerable Cruelty

When I first learned the Bros. Coen--Ethan and Joel, Joel and Ethan--were preparing for their next film or movie my immediate response was: I wonder what genre it will be this time?

There is, of course, explanation, justification, rationale for this unorthodox response: The Bros. Coen are known for being genre-hoppers: They produce and direct (and often write) a comedy, followed by a hardboiled thriller, followed by a historical piece, followed by a regional road flick.

So, understandably, I was curious about this latest production.

Now I know what it is and I must say I am somewhat surprised: A romantic comedy? Haven't the Bros. Coen already done this genre? Superficially it would seem so, but this is the Bros. Coen, so the actual answer is: No.

The answer is 'no' because part of the appeal of a Coen Brothers production is that rarely do they do what they seem to be doing, and "Intolerable Cruelty", their latest masterpiece, is no exception: At first glance this movie seems to be a romantic comedy. But look at it again and it comes across as a send-up of the same. Give it another glance and find that what it really is (or is it?) is a clever take on the energy, time, and resources men and women expend in the pursuit of the thing called Love.

But enough about what this film is or isn't about. To the story:

George Clooney is Miles Massey, the millionaire author of a legal effort entitled "The Massey Pre-Nup", a prenuptial agreement so tightly written that it has never been cracked, challenged successfully, or overturned. When we first encounter him he is in a court of law, defending an outraged husband (Geoffrey Rush, in one of his more interesting acting turns of late), against his wife, whom he found with the pool man. An odd thing, this, considering he doesn't have a pool.

Massey is hired by one Rex Rexroth (Edward Herrmann), who was briefly married to Marylin (Catherine Zeta-Jones). Why? Because she has a video, taken by her detective, Gus (Cedric the Entertainer), which exposes Rex as a cheater. Now this means, logically, she wants his money--millions and millions of dollars.

It is a given Miles will win the case, and he does. It is a given something involving Mile and Marylin will happen at this point, and it does: She wants to hire him to draft a Massey Pre-Nup for her next marriage, to a Texas oil billionaire named Howard (Billy Bob Thorton, in what may be the most outrageous performance of the year, regardless the medium).

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