list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Intolerable Cruelty on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/Intolerable_Cruelty/223559/default.aspx Title: Intolerable Cruelty
Year: 2003
Director: Joel Coen
Plot: Joel and Ethan Coen take on the classic battle-of-the-sexes screwball comedy with Intolerable Cruelty. George Clooney plays Miles Massey, a high-powered Los Angeles divorce lawyer nearing a midlife crisis . While representing wealthy client Rex Rexroth (Edward Herrmann), Miles meets his match in Rex's gold-digging wife, Marilyn Rexroth (Catherine Zeta-Jones). He's impressed by her similarly heartless ways of using marriage to fuel an expensive lifestyle, but he still defeats her in court. With Marilyn looking to get her revenge and Miles finding himself attracted to her, the two engage in a ruthless romantic pursuit to out-swindle each other. Billy Bob Thornton shows up in a small role as Texas oil tycoon Howard Doyle. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 57
Number of Lists: 43
Number of blog posts: 6
Number of discussion threads: 9
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:49:32 GMTIntolerable Cruelty2003Joel CoenJoel and <a href="/players/P____85372/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Ethan Coen</a> take on the classic battle-of-the-sexes screwball comedy with Intolerable Cruelty. <a href="/players/P____13722/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>George Clooney</a> plays Miles Massey, a high-powered Los Angeles divorce lawyer nearing a midlife crisis . While representing wealthy client Rex Rexroth (<a href="/players/P____31943/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Edward Herrmann</a>), Miles meets his match in Rex's gold-digging wife, Marilyn Rexroth (<a href="/players/P____36062/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Catherine Zeta-Jones</a>). He's impressed by her similarly heartless ways of using marriage to fuel an expensive lifestyle, but he still defeats her in court. With Marilyn looking to get her revenge and Miles finding himself attracted to her, the two engage in a ruthless romantic pursuit to out-swindle each other. <a href="/players/P____70825/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Billy Bob Thornton</a> shows up in a small role as Texas oil tycoon Howard Doyle. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide57Tag Target (>10)43693http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t40258sk70b.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Intolerable_Cruelty/223559/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/risselada/archive/2009/1/15/39560.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Risselada Blog
Post Date: 1/15/2009 1:19:22 PM
Body: Burn After Reading You must first know (if you don't know me well already) that I am a full out Coen brothers fanatic. I have always loved everything they have done to an extreme. I have rated every single movie they have directed a 10 out of 10 except for their first Blood Simple which just about made it there with a 9 out of 10. Yes even the often despised The Ladykillers and Intolerable Cruelty for me are amongst my top tier of most enjoyable cinema. Some may argue that their work was so formative in my love of film altogether and has grown to such hyperbolic proportions that I no longer have a real critical eye for any of their work and would be blind to any real sub-par work they may have or will ever release. Perhaps this is true in a ways, but as long as I truely am enjoying myself watching their movies I have no reason to feel bad. And I LOVE THEM ALL! So obviously I had been looking forward to Burn After Reading. Just to start with, the title is a wonderful thing. I was of course really looking forward to this one, like I always do. Here are some of the Coen staples this time around: -Someone seeking large sums of money (is there any of their movies that doesn't feature this?) -A very American culture or setting (fitness club chain). -A clashing of personalities -Inept people with their own agendas -Lots of swearing and sudden violence mixed with absurd humor -George Clooney, Frances McDormand, Richard Jenkins After their much praised Oscar winner No Country For Men, seen as probably their darkest and humorless (although there still is a lot in there)yet, the Coens I think have followed up with a lot of the same themes but having oh so much more fun with it. *spoilers* They are able to take a genre and play with the conventions. They put in such original and distinct characters. And you know they had a lot of fun with top A-List celebrities, turning George Cloony into such a quirky pervert, and killing off Brad Pitt, who plays the most lovable character suddenly halfway through the movie. I think your reaction to that scene where Brad Pitt's character is shot is a kind of indicator of your attitudes towards Hollywood as a culture and certain conventions in Hollywood movies. For instance there was a guy in the movie theater who could not stop laughing very long and loud after he was shot, and his girlfriend kept hitting him and saying "Stop it! What's the matter with you? Why are you laughing?!" It made everyone else in the theatre laugh even more. I think the people who are laughing are the people who get that the Coens do not make much of the celebrity worship in this culture where A-List actors must always look good in their movies and be the center of attention until the end. They recognize that Brad Pitt has talent, let's make him act real goofy, people will be surprised they like it, but then we will kill him off halfway through the movie, because you'd never expect that to happen to Brad in a normal Hollywood movie where he is top billed like that. Maybe I'm off, but that's kind of how I sensed it. Thanks to my friend Noah for pointing this out. A lot of Coen brothers movies have some kind of retribution to characters for bad behaviors or attitudes. Some of them end with wonderful little phrases that try to give some kind of hope or victory for the good guy. The "There's more to life than a little money, you know" speech that Marge gives at the end of Fargo that for instance. That part really gets me emotional after all that happened, brings a tear to my eye. Whereas I pulled this excerpt from the very end of Burn After Reading from the Internet Movie Script Database. GARDNER CHUBB (CONT'D) ... What did we learn, Palmer. PALMER I don't know, sir. GARDNER CHUBB I don't fucking know either. I guess we learned not to do it again. PALMER Yes sir. GARDNER CHUBB Although I'm fucked if I know what we did. PALMER Yes sir. Hard to say.In this movie the madness and depravity really has no explanation. And you know, sometimes life is like that. There's a beautiful, happy and sad truth to the final summary in all of the Coen brothers films I'd say. I can't wait for their next one! Rating: 10/10
]]>Thu, 15 Jan 2009 18:19:22 GMTRisseladaRisselada Blog1/15/2009 1:19:22 PMBurn After Reading You must first know (if you don't know me well already) that I am a full out Coen brothers fanatic. I have always loved everything they have done to an extreme. I have rated every single movie they have directed a 10 out of 10 except for their first Blood Simple which just about made it there with a 9 out of 10. Yes even the often despised The Ladykillers and Intolerable Cruelty for me are amongst my top tier of most enjoyable cinema. Some may argue that their work was so formative in my love of film altogether and has grown to such hyperbolic proportions that I no longer have a real critical eye for any of their work and would be blind to any real sub-par work they may have or will ever release. Perhaps this is true in a ways, but as long as I truely am enjoying myself watching their movies I have no reason to feel bad. And I LOVE THEM ALL! So obviously I had been looking forward to Burn After Reading. Just to start with, the title is a wonderful thing. I was of course really looking forward to this one, like I always do. Here are some of the Coen staples this time around: -Someone seeking large sums of money (is there any of their movies that doesn't feature this?) -A very American culture or setting (fitness club chain). -A clashing of personalities -Inept people with their own agendas -Lots of swearing and sudden violence mixed with absurd humor -George Clooney, Frances McDormand, Richard Jenkins After their much praised Oscar winner No Country For Men, seen as probably their darkest and humorless (although there still is a lot in there)yet, the Coens I think have followed up with a lot of the same themes but having oh so much more fun with it. *spoilers* They are able to take a genre and play with the conventions. They put in such original and distinct characters. And you know they had a lot of fun with top A-List celebrities, turning George Cloony into such a quirky pervert, and killing off Brad Pitt, who plays the most lovable character suddenly halfway through the movie. I think your reaction to that scene where Brad Pitt's character is shot is a kind of indicator of your attitudes towards Hollywood as a culture and certain conventions in Hollywood movies. For instance there was a guy in the movie theater who could not stop laughing very long and loud after he was shot, and his girlfriend kept hitting him and saying "Stop it! What's the matter with you? Why are you laughing?!" It made everyone else in the theatre laugh even more. I think the people who are laughing are the people who get that the Coens do not make much of the celebrity worship in this culture where A-List actors must always look good in their movies and be the center of attention until the end. They recognize that Brad Pitt has talent, let's make him act real goofy, people will be surprised they like it, but then we will kill him off halfway through the movie, because you'd never expect that to happen to Brad in a normal Hollywood movie where he is top billed like that. Maybe I'm off, but that's kind of how I sensed it. Thanks to my friend Noah for pointing this out. A lot of Coen brothers movies have some kind of retribution to characters for bad behaviors or attitudes. Some of them end with wonderful little phrases that try to give some kind of hope or victory for the good guy. The "There's more to life than a little money, you know" speech that Marge gives at the end of Fargo that for instance. That part really gets me emotional after all that happened, brings a tear to my eye. Whereas I pulled this excerpt from the very end of Burn After Reading from the Internet Movie Script Database. GARDNER CHUBB (CONT'D) ... What did we learn, Palmer. PALMER I don't know, sir. GARDNER CHUBB I don't fucking know either. I guess we learned not to do it again. PALMER Yes sir. GARDNER CHUBB Although I'm fucked if I know what we did. PALMER Yes sir. Hard to say.In this movie the madness and depravity really has no explanation. And you know, sometimes life is like that. There's a beautiful, happy and sad truth to the final summary in all of the Coen brothers films I'd say. I can't wait for their next one! Rating: 10/10 http://www.spout.com/blogs/captainryannn/archive/2008/12/4/37956.aspx Post By: CaptainRyannn
Post To: CaptainRyannn Blog
Post Date: 12/4/2008 4:41:49 PM
Body: Well, let me start off by saying that I originally saw this two weeks ago and loved it. So I decided to go back and see it again. The Coen Brothers seem to have formed a pattern that has worked for them over the years. After putting out a serious film, the switch gears to a comedy one. Blood Simple brought Raising Arizona. Miller’s Crossing brought The Hudsucker Proxy. Fargro brought The Big Lebowski. The Man Who Wasn’t There brought Intolerable Cruelty and The Ladykillers (both of which kind of sucked.). Now, it is fitting that after their most acclaimed film, they up the ante for their newest comedy, Burn After Reading. With the zoom-in effect used to open the film, we are given the impression that something important is happening. Well, it is important in the sense that without it, we would not have a film. But it’s so trivial because of it’s cause. CIA agent Osbourne Cox (John Malkovich) gets demoted for too much drinking. We immediately get a glimpse into his hilarious character that is somewhat of an elitist. He gets to come home to his bitch-of-a-wife, Katie (Tilda Swinton) and decides to write some memoirs, or as Osbourne likes to call them, “mem-wah’s”. Well his darling Katie happens to be cheating on him with Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney) who is not only cheating on his wife (Patricia Clarkson) with Katie, but also the kind-hearted Linda Litzke (Frances McDomand). Confusing, I know. Well, in an attempt to ‘prepare’ for the divorce, Katie copies Cox’s financial as well as his memoirs. Through a couple of plain-forgetful actions, the disc containing these items is found on the floor of Hard Bodies, a gym that is run by Linda, Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt), and the well-mannered sensitive man, Ted (Richard Jenkins). Chad and Linda end up thinking that they really have something important and demand a ransom from Cox. Chaos and hilarity ensues as the term ‘making a mountain out of an anthill’ comes to life. But in this case, the anthill has actually become a mountain forged out of stupidity, infidelity, and murder.
]]>Thu, 04 Dec 2008 21:41:49 GMTCaptainRyannnCaptainRyannn Blog12/4/2008 4:41:49 PMWell, let me start off by saying that I originally saw this two weeks ago and loved it. So I decided to go back and see it again. The Coen Brothers seem to have formed a pattern that has worked for them over the years. After putting out a serious film, the switch gears to a comedy one. Blood Simple brought Raising Arizona. Miller&rsquo;s Crossing brought The Hudsucker Proxy. Fargro brought The Big Lebowski. The Man Who Wasn&rsquo;t There brought Intolerable Cruelty and The Ladykillers (both of which kind of sucked.). Now, it is fitting that after their most acclaimed film, they up the ante for their newest comedy, Burn After Reading. With the zoom-in effect used to open the film, we are given the impression that something important is happening. Well, it is important in the sense that without it, we would not have a film. But it&rsquo;s so trivial because of it&rsquo;s cause. CIA agent Osbourne Cox (John Malkovich) gets demoted for too much drinking. We immediately get a glimpse into his hilarious character that is somewhat of an elitist. He gets to come home to his bitch-of-a-wife, Katie (Tilda Swinton) and decides to write some memoirs, or as Osbourne likes to call them, &ldquo;mem-wah&rsquo;s&rdquo;. Well his darling Katie happens to be cheating on him with Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney) who is not only cheating on his wife (Patricia Clarkson) with Katie, but also the kind-hearted Linda Litzke (Frances McDomand). Confusing, I know. Well, in an attempt to &lsquo;prepare&rsquo; for the divorce, Katie copies Cox&rsquo;s financial as well as his memoirs. Through a couple of plain-forgetful actions, the disc containing these items is found on the floor of Hard Bodies, a gym that is run by Linda, Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt), and the well-mannered sensitive man, Ted (Richard Jenkins). Chad and Linda end up thinking that they really have something important and demand a ransom from Cox. Chaos and hilarity ensues as the term &lsquo;making a mountain out of an anthill&rsquo; comes to life. But in this case, the anthill has actually become a mountain forged out of stupidity, infidelity, and murder. http://www.spout.com/groups/FRESH/Re_Burn_After_Reading/75/35639/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: suresh_yelpale
Post To: FRESH
Post Date: 9/27/2008 1:27:32 PM
Body: [quote user="Risselada"] Burn After Reading. I just saw it last night. Another Coen brothers success in my opinion. Maybe it won't reach the comedy cult status of The Big Lebowski or O Brother, Where Art Thou? But it should appease those who were disappointed with the recent Intolerable Cruelty and The Ladykillers (both of which I however loved greatly). Who here has seen it? What did you think? POSSIBLE SPOILERS It has all the expected elements of the Coen brothers. Stupid people getting in over their heads. Ransom (or more like blackmail) / Kidnapping (or suspected kidnapping). Quirky people. Shocking violence bundled close with humor. Anyone have a favorite moment? Mine might have been when George Clooney's character catches the guy from the law firm that his wife hired to follow him. [/quote]
]]>Sat, 27 Sep 2008 17:27:32 GMTsuresh_yelpaleFRESH9/27/2008 1:27:32 PM[quote user="Risselada"] Burn After Reading. I just saw it last night. Another Coen brothers success in my opinion. Maybe it won't reach the comedy cult status of The Big Lebowski or O Brother, Where Art Thou? But it should appease those who were disappointed with the recent Intolerable Cruelty and The Ladykillers (both of which I however loved greatly). Who here has seen it? What did you think? POSSIBLE SPOILERS It has all the expected elements of the Coen brothers. Stupid people getting in over their heads. Ransom (or more like blackmail) / Kidnapping (or suspected kidnapping). Quirky people. Shocking violence bundled close with humor. Anyone have a favorite moment? Mine might have been when George Clooney's character catches the guy from the law firm that his wife hired to follow him. [/quote] http://www.spout.com/blogs/christhilk/archive/2008/9/18/35287.aspx Post By: ChrisThilk
Post To: ChrisThilk Blog
Post Date: 9/18/2008 8:01:19 PM
Body: In honor of Burn After Reading hitting theaters last week I decided my latest mini festival was going to be some of the Coen Brothers movies I have in the library. There are some notable omissions from that collection that I don’t have a good excuse for but I did want to rewatch some of the ones I’ve picked up. First up was Barton Fink, my first introduction to the Coens way back when it was first released. I’d seen bits of Raising Arizona but never really gotten into it. Fink, though, sucked me in and turned me into a fan of the brothers. The darkly comic tale of a writer who migrates from New York to Los Angeles in the mid-40s is always a treat on a number of levels. Not only are all the performances pitch-perfect, but the scene where Barton finally figures out what he wants the wresting picture he’s commissioned to write to be about and he winds up essentially re-writing the play we see in the movie’s opening always kills me. It completely undermines everything that we’ve seen about the character up until that point, that he’s some genius just overflowing with talent. Instead he winds up doing the only thing he knows how to do - repeat himself. Next was Fargo, which is so good on so many levels it defies most descriptions. Trust me - As good as this movie’s reputation is, those reviews don’t come close to describing how well made it actually it. It’s a bit scary. Finally I snuck in Intolerable Cruelty, which might seem like an odd choice but I like it. Catherine Zeta-Jones gives what might be called her usual performance and is more than a little funny, but she just doesn’t know what to do with the Coen’s style and so comes off a bit stilted. Compare that to George Clooney in his second Coen outing, who knows exactly what to do and how to sell his character. He’s the only one who seems to know what to do and what the Coens were doing in the movie, which is admittedly not one of their top-tier films. Still, it’s breezy and enjoyable and worth checking out or re-watching with a fresh perspective if you’ve previously dismissed it.        Originally posted on:Chris Thilk
]]>Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:01:19 GMTChrisThilkChrisThilk Blog9/18/2008 8:01:19 PMIn honor of Burn After Reading hitting theaters last week I decided my latest mini festival was going to be some of the Coen Brothers movies I have in the library. There are some notable omissions from that collection that I don’t have a good excuse for but I did want to rewatch some of the ones I’ve picked up. First up was Barton Fink, my first introduction to the Coens way back when it was first released. I’d seen bits of Raising Arizona but never really gotten into it. Fink, though, sucked me in and turned me into a fan of the brothers. The darkly comic tale of a writer who migrates from New York to Los Angeles in the mid-40s is always a treat on a number of levels. Not only are all the performances pitch-perfect, but the scene where Barton finally figures out what he wants the wresting picture he’s commissioned to write to be about and he winds up essentially re-writing the play we see in the movie’s opening always kills me. It completely undermines everything that we’ve seen about the character up until that point, that he’s some genius just overflowing with talent. Instead he winds up doing the only thing he knows how to do - repeat himself. Next was Fargo, which is so good on so many levels it defies most descriptions. Trust me - As good as this movie’s reputation is, those reviews don’t come close to describing how well made it actually it. It’s a bit scary. Finally I snuck in Intolerable Cruelty, which might seem like an odd choice but I like it. Catherine Zeta-Jones gives what might be called her usual performance and is more than a little funny, but she just doesn’t know what to do with the Coen’s style and so comes off a bit stilted. Compare that to George Clooney in his second Coen outing, who knows exactly what to do and how to sell his character. He’s the only one who seems to know what to do and what the Coens were doing in the movie, which is admittedly not one of their top-tier films. Still, it’s breezy and enjoyable and worth checking out or re-watching with a fresh perspective if you’ve previously dismissed it.        Originally posted on:Chris Thilk http://www.spout.com/groups/FRESH/Burn_After_Reading/75/35270/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: FRESH
Post Date: 9/18/2008 10:54:20 AM
Body: Burn After Reading. I just saw it last night. Another Coen brothers success in my opinion. Maybe it won't reach the comedy cult status of The Big Lebowski or O Brother, Where Art Thou? But it should appease those who were disappointed with the recent Intolerable Cruelty and The Ladykillers (both of which I however loved greatly). Who here has seen it? What did you think? POSSIBLE SPOILERS It has all the expected elements of the Coen brothers. Stupid people getting in over their heads. Ransom (or more like blackmail) / Kidnapping (or suspected kidnapping). Quirky people. Shocking violence bundled close with humor. Anyone have a favorite moment? Mine might have been when George Clooney's character catches the guy from the law firm that his wife hired to follow him.
]]>Thu, 18 Sep 2008 14:54:20 GMTRisseladaFRESH9/18/2008 10:54:20 AMBurn After Reading. I just saw it last night. Another Coen brothers success in my opinion. Maybe it won't reach the comedy cult status of The Big Lebowski or O Brother, Where Art Thou? But it should appease those who were disappointed with the recent Intolerable Cruelty and The Ladykillers (both of which I however loved greatly). Who here has seen it? What did you think? POSSIBLE SPOILERS It has all the expected elements of the Coen brothers. Stupid people getting in over their heads. Ransom (or more like blackmail) / Kidnapping (or suspected kidnapping). Quirky people. Shocking violence bundled close with humor. Anyone have a favorite moment? Mine might have been when George Clooney's character catches the guy from the law firm that his wife hired to follow him. http://www.spout.com/groups/Movie_Games/Re_Six_Degrees_of_Separation_1/598/32587/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: leeroy711
Post To: Movie Games
Post Date: 7/15/2008 4:52:17 PM
Body: Dench to Geoffrery Rush in Shakespeare in Love Rush to Billy Bob Thorton in Intolerable Cruelty Billy Bob Thorton to Sean William Scott in Mr Woodcock There, can anyone do it in less than three.
]]>Tue, 15 Jul 2008 20:52:17 GMTleeroy711Movie Games7/15/2008 4:52:17 PMDench to Geoffrery Rush in Shakespeare in Love Rush to Billy Bob Thorton in Intolerable Cruelty Billy Bob Thorton to Sean William Scott in Mr Woodcock There, can anyone do it in less than three. http://www.spout.com/blogs/leeroy711/archive/2008/6/8/30885.aspx Post By: leeroy711
Post To: leeroy711 Blog
Post Date: 6/8/2008 11:44:31 PM
Body: These may not be the greatest titles of all time, but they're the right movies for right now The summer is starting, vacations are being planned, station wagons are being packed but all you can think of is sitting down in your favorite chair and zoning out in front of the tube. These are for you. Falling Down (1993) – Some people remember Joel Schumacher as the director that tried to ruin the Batman movies, some remember him much loved generation X classic, The Lost Boys. I choose to think of him as the director of this gem of an action/drama/dark comedy. This movie is perfect for the beginning of summer because one of the most memorable images is that of Michael Douglas’ sweat beaten body stuck in traffic with no air conditioning. Intolerable Cruelty (2003) – I think of Fargo and No Country for Old Men as the Oktoberfest special batch from the Coen brothers’ brewery. This movie would be slightly diluted microbrew. It may not have as much flavor, but you know it’s from the same brewery. And in the middle of a hot summer, you may actually prefer a “less filling” blend of Ethan and Joel. Jaws (1975) – This is definitely not my favorite Spielberg film. Most days I would rather sit through Empire of the Sun, Schindler’s list or Munich. But for obvious reasons, everyone should watch this one right before their trip to the beach. Stolen Summer (2002) – This film is the first product of the Project Greenlight venture and it received mixed reviews. It is a bit more heavy on the emotional spectrum than the rest of my June picks but it begins in the summer and I liked it. It’s my list and I can do what I want with it. Gidget Goes To Hawaii (1961) – Why not?
]]>Mon, 09 Jun 2008 03:44:31 GMTleeroy711leeroy711 Blog6/8/2008 11:44:31 PM These may not be the greatest titles of all time, but they're the right movies for right now The summer is starting, vacations are being planned, station wagons are being packed but all you can think of is sitting down in your favorite chair and zoning out in front of the tube. These are for you. Falling Down (1993) &ndash; Some people remember Joel Schumacher as the director that tried to ruin the Batman movies, some remember him much loved generation X classic, The Lost Boys. I choose to think of him as the director of this gem of an action/drama/dark comedy. This movie is perfect for the beginning of summer because one of the most memorable images is that of Michael Douglas&rsquo; sweat beaten body stuck in traffic with no air conditioning. Intolerable Cruelty (2003) &ndash; I think of Fargo and No Country for Old Men as the Oktoberfest special batch from the Coen brothers&rsquo; brewery. This movie would be slightly diluted microbrew. It may not have as much flavor, but you know it&rsquo;s from the same brewery. And in the middle of a hot summer, you may actually prefer a &ldquo;less filling&rdquo; blend of Ethan and Joel. Jaws (1975) &ndash; This is definitely not my favorite Spielberg film. Most days I would rather sit through Empire of the Sun, Schindler&rsquo;s list or Munich. But for obvious reasons, everyone should watch this one right before their trip to the beach. Stolen Summer (2002) &ndash; This film is the first product of the Project Greenlight venture and it received mixed reviews. It is a bit more heavy on the emotional spectrum than the rest of my June picks but it begins in the summer and I liked it. It&rsquo;s my list and I can do what I want with it. Gidget Goes To Hawaii (1961) &ndash; Why not? http://www.spout.com/blogs/cinemarian/archive/2008/5/12/28794.aspx Post By: CinemaRian
Post To: CinemaRian Blog
Post Date: 5/12/2008 11:15:42 PM
Body: Just as many rock bands will at some point record a song or perhaps a entire record about the difficulties of being on tour and famous (The Kinks alone did three entire albums on this topic), eventfully, many filmmakers will want to make a statement about making movies or the Hollywood life style. In each film, even the great ones (such as Sunset Boulevard) we get the same message: Hollywood is some sort of soul sucking vortex, where dreams are inevitably shattered and shallowness and corruption reigns supreme. The Coen Brothers made a great film about this subject before with Barton Fink, and one of their masterpieces, Fargo, took place in a near soulless vortex of a different kind. They return to the subject with Intolerable Cruelty, a movie that, to be frank, sucks. The film is in a tie with The Ladykillers as the least of their work, and I can't figure out which is worst- Intolerable Cruelty is has so many lame ideas it's rarely boring, whereas The Ladykillers is too boring to be lame. Neither film is funny. Of course, those who are familiar with my longtime opinions will note that I have great affection for their straight dramas and dramadies, but am not a big fan of their outright movies of mirth. The problem is that the Coens are like comedic Green Berets- they are on a mission and you are going laugh, damnit! It's like the standup comedian with good material but bad delivery- you can see the cogs turning, which sabotages laughs. It is significant that the Coens co-wrote one of the funniest movies I have ever seen, Bad Santa, but their own comedies are so relentless and desperate that I can't get involved in them. The story, as if it matters: George Cloony is a Hollywood divorce attorney who falls for his clients cold fish wife (Catherine Zeta-Jones). He does a lot to impress her but marries Billy Bob Thorten anyway. But the movie's not over and…yeah, if you've ever seen a screwball comedy you know what happens next, sort of. That's actually not a complaint because screwball comedies are all about style and tone- the plot is inevitable and secondary. In addition to being witty and funny, for a screwball comedies to work, the director must believe in the material fully- we need to leave the feeling happy. The Coens are well known for there ironic detachment, which deflates the film's feel good nature like a balloon in the briar patch. Have you noticed I really didn't like this movie? To pull out a Scott-esq title parody, Intolerable Cruelty is certainly intolerable cruelty- to the audience! That joke was funnier than anything in the movie. Intolerable Cruelty (2003)
]]>Tue, 13 May 2008 03:15:42 GMTCinemaRianCinemaRian Blog5/12/2008 11:15:42 PMJust as many rock bands will at some point record a song or perhaps a entire record about the difficulties of being on tour and famous (The Kinks alone did three entire albums on this topic), eventfully, many filmmakers will want to make a statement about making movies or the Hollywood life style. In each film, even the great ones (such as Sunset Boulevard) we get the same message: Hollywood is some sort of soul sucking vortex, where dreams are inevitably shattered and shallowness and corruption reigns supreme. The Coen Brothers made a great film about this subject before with Barton Fink, and one of their masterpieces, Fargo, took place in a near soulless vortex of a different kind. They return to the subject with Intolerable Cruelty, a movie that, to be frank, sucks. The film is in a tie with The Ladykillers as the least of their work, and I can't figure out which is worst- Intolerable Cruelty is has so many lame ideas it's rarely boring, whereas The Ladykillers is too boring to be lame. Neither film is funny. Of course, those who are familiar with my longtime opinions will note that I have great affection for their straight dramas and dramadies, but am not a big fan of their outright movies of mirth. The problem is that the Coens are like comedic Green Berets- they are on a mission and you are going laugh, damnit! It's like the standup comedian with good material but bad delivery- you can see the cogs turning, which sabotages laughs. It is significant that the Coens co-wrote one of the funniest movies I have ever seen, Bad Santa, but their own comedies are so relentless and desperate that I can't get involved in them. The story, as if it matters: George Cloony is a Hollywood divorce attorney who falls for his clients cold fish wife (Catherine Zeta-Jones). He does a lot to impress her but marries Billy Bob Thorten anyway. But the movie's not over and&hellip;yeah, if you've ever seen a screwball comedy you know what happens next, sort of. That's actually not a complaint because screwball comedies are all about style and tone- the plot is inevitable and secondary. In addition to being witty and funny, for a screwball comedies to work, the director must believe in the material fully- we need to leave the feeling happy. The Coens are well known for there ironic detachment, which deflates the film's feel good nature like a balloon in the briar patch. Have you noticed I really didn't like this movie? To pull out a Scott-esq title parody, Intolerable Cruelty is certainly intolerable cruelty- to the audience! That joke was funnier than anything in the movie. Intolerable Cruelty (2003) http://www.spout.com/groups/Best_Trilogies/Re_Upcoming_trilogies/424/17428/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Best Trilogies
Post Date: 8/6/2007 1:48:30 PM
Body: [quote user="lukasblu"] "Lars von Trier's America Trilogy " can't wait to see the last one wasington;which one is your fave of the 2 released so far? i liked dogville better[/quote] I've only seen Dogville.[quote user="lukasblu"] "Coens brothers were calling this The Idiot Trilogy starring George Clooney" saw both O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Intolerable Cruelty and i did not know they were a part of a trilogy;both movie were pretty good[/quote]It seems to be an unintentional trilogy. They really have nothing to do with eachother plot wise. They just all star Clooney and he plays some kind of an idiot I guess. But then again most of the Coen brothers movies star some kind of idiot.
]]>Mon, 06 Aug 2007 17:48:30 GMTRisseladaBest Trilogies8/6/2007 1:48:30 PM[quote user="lukasblu"] "Lars von Trier&#39;s America Trilogy " can&#39;t wait to see the last one wasington;which one is your fave of the 2 released so far? i liked dogville better[/quote] I&#39;ve only seen Dogville.[quote user="lukasblu"] "Coens brothers were calling this The Idiot Trilogy starring George Clooney" saw both O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Intolerable Cruelty and i did not know they were a part of a trilogy;both movie were pretty good[/quote]It seems to be an unintentional trilogy. They really have nothing to do with eachother plot wise. They just all star Clooney and he plays some kind of an idiot I guess. But then again most of the Coen brothers movies star some kind of idiot. http://www.spout.com/groups/Best_Trilogies/Re_Upcoming_trilogies/424/17322/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: lukasblu
Post To: Best Trilogies
Post Date: 8/5/2007 2:41:03 AM
Body: "Lars von Trier's America Trilogy " can't wait to see the last one wasington;which one is your fave of the 2 released so far? i liked dogville better"Coens brothers were calling this The Idiot Trilogy starring George Clooney" saw both O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Intolerable Cruelty and i did not know they were a part of a trilogy;both movie were pretty good
]]>Sun, 05 Aug 2007 06:41:03 GMTlukasbluBest Trilogies8/5/2007 2:41:03 AM"Lars von Trier&#39;s America Trilogy " can&#39;t wait to see the last one wasington;which one is your fave of the 2 released so far? i liked dogville better"Coens brothers were calling this The Idiot Trilogy starring George Clooney" saw both O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Intolerable Cruelty and i did not know they were a part of a trilogy;both movie were pretty good http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/love/MemberTagFilms.aspxlove
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