|
By
WAYNE KLEIN
The title of the Cohen
brothers' latest film, "Intolerable Cruelty,"
could have been applied to the duo's film "Barton
Fink." Here the brothers attempt a romantic comedy
with dashes of screwball thrown in for good
measure. Although "Intolerable Cruelty" can't
quite stand with the best work the Cohens have
done, it's a bright and breezy step away from the
really dark humor that has characterized their
best work. As usual, though, the duo is still
original enough to subvert a number of the genre's
clichés. The bottom line, it's entertaining as
heck and a pleasant way to spend the evening.
Miles Massey (George Clooney) a seasoned divorce
lawyer has finally met his match in the
love-'em-and-leave-'em Marilyn Rexroth (Catherine
Zeta Jones). Massey represents Mr. Rexroth (Edward
Herrmann) in the divorce . Despite the fact that
they are on opposite sides of the fence, Massey
and Mrs. Rexroth find an instant attraction and
share a cynical outlook on romance and the
institution of marriage. We get to watch the two
dance around each other expecting betrayal but, in
the process, they discover they really were made
for each other.
Featuring witty dialogue, the Cohens' brand of
off-beat humor and a number of interesting cameos
(Bruce Campbell, Billy Bob Thornton, Geoffrey Rush
and Julia Duffy), "Intolerable Cruelty" at times
recalls the best work of Preston Sturges and even
Alfred Hitchcock's romantic comedy/suspense films.
Although it isn't quite up to Sturges, Hitchcock
or Lubitsch, it's a huge improvement over the bulk
of the formulaic romantic comedies that Hollywood
has been force feeding us over the past decade.
Both the lead actors recall romantic comedy stars
from the past with their spectacular performances.
In the case of Clooney, he reminds me a bit of
Cary Grant's breeziest bits and Zeta-Jones recalls
Grace Kelley's work in Hitchcock's "To Catch a
Thief". The supporting cast is equally strong and
up to the task of trying to revive a genre that
has fallen into cliché.
"Intolerable Cruelty" demonstrates that the Cohen
brothers continue to master a wide variety of
genres, bending each to their artistic vision.
While this breezy romantic comedy doesn't rank
with their best work, the witty dialogue and
inspired performances make the film a worthwhile
investment on a Friday or Saturday night. |
