Early on in "Intolerable Cruelty," the new screwball comedy by the infamous duo of Joel and Ethan Coen, the audience witnesses George Clooney's character admiring himself, on the sly, in the back of a spoon.
Everything about the scene is right: Clooney is funny, Catherine Zeta-Jones' entrance into the frame is unexpected, and the close up of the back of the spoon looks beautiful. It leaves the viewer wishing that the rest of the film was more like this one shot; a little more amusing, a little more surprising and a little more polished than it actual is.
"Intolerable Cruelty" is without a doubt a love story, but not exactly your typical love story. It centers around highly-respected divorce attorney Miles Massey (Clooney) who is known for his smooth-talking way in court and his infallible record of getting his clients what they want. He's also famous for his amazing Massey prenuptial agreement.As one can imagine, he has rather unorthodox ways of handing his cases both inside and outside of court.
To challenge Miles, up steps Marylin Rexroth (Zeta-Jones), a serial wife concerned only with how much she can milk out of her marriage. Miles is defending her husband, Rex Rexroth (a name only the Coens could love) and he wins the case, leaving Marylin sleeping on a posh girlfriend's couch and floundering for a new husband. Everything is going to plan for Miles. Except he didn't plan on falling in love with her. And, of course, romantic mayhem ensues.
The problem is that the mayhem isn't that manic. Or, at least, it isn't as manic as one would like to expect from the Coens. It certainly isn't nearly as ragingly bizarre as "Raising Arizona," but it doesn't evoke the more controlled silliness of "O Brother Where Art Thou" either. Instead the movie is rather glossy and somewhat predictable.
This is not only visible in the storyline, which leaves something to be desired, but also in the cinematography. The scenes are so bright and crisp that the staging is more reminiscent of P.T. Anderson's "Punch Drunk Love" than the moody mises-en-scene that usually pervade a Coen film.
But what it lacks in story and visuals, it makes up for in characters. Clooney excels as a bouncy scoundrel who is willing to bend the rules of the law as far as he can without getting caught. His buoyancy and bubbling personality combined with his deadpan facial expressions (particularly in the scene right after he has been called into the office of his firm's decrepit head-honcho) make him a joy to watch throughout the entire film.
Clooney's gestures and expressions are perfectly timed, and his bouncy character is so entirely enjoyable. This sadly only makes his one monologue scene, which has all the fun and pop of a Martin Sheen speech on the "The West Wing," all the more disappointing. But the audience must forgive him that one, for the rest is perfect.
Zeta-Jones, on the other hand, is nothing to write home about, but to her credit (or perhaps her husband's detriment) she fits in seamlessly as the coy and calculating man-eater Marylin.
But in spite of the star power on the marquee, it is really the side characters that make this movie. The film's biggest asset is that it is chock-full of incredibly quirky bit characters that are absolutely hila-ious. Jonathan Hadary has a zany turn in the role of Heinz the Baron Krauss von Espy, the primary witness against Marylin in her first divorce trial. His pidgin English sputterings ("Wealthes.Wealth? Wealthescan I say that?") and the fact that his character is so over-the-top make the court scene hilarious.
Herb (Tom Aldredge), the head of Massey's firm, looks and acts like Muppet who's been infused with the crippled lunacy of Dr. Strangelove. The fact that his waiting room offers its guests "Living Without Intestines" magazine as light reading material, only highlights the Coens' brilliance with witty sight gags. And Wheezy Joe (Irwin Keyes), an asthmatic assassin, is a fantastic bit of black comedy in the otherwise bright movie.
But the side characters, who come and go rather quickly, can't hold the movie. And Clooney, despite his quick-witted fun, can't add to the plot. And the Coens, who usually ooze humor, can't seem to get all the cards right on this one.
"Intolerable Cruelty" is a bumpy road spliced with individual gags, when it should be a steady stream of laughs. The plot is often a little too thin and the romantic edge a little too fluffy for the comedy to hold out. That said, it is a romantic comedy, and at that a pretty good one. On the whole it's a thoroughly enjoyable experience, with great performances and a lot of laughs. But in general the audience seems to leave the movie as Marylin leaves each of her husbands: still looking for something more.