Intolerable Cruelty (2003)

Synopsis: Intolerable Cruelty is a romantic comedy about a man who wins in court and a woman who courts to win. A mix of Beverly Hills high glamour and maliciously competitive fun, it brings together in movie matrimony the high-powered filmmaking talents of Academy Award ® winners BRIAN GRAZER (A... Intolerable Cruelty is a romantic comedy about a man who wins in court and a woman who courts to win. A mix of Beverly Hills high glamour and maliciously competitive fun, it brings together in movie matrimony the high-powered filmmaking talents of Academy Award ® winners BRIAN GRAZER (A Beautiful Mind, 8 Mile) and JOEL COEN & ETHAN COEN (Fargo, O Brother, Where Art Thou?) with two of the screen’s biggest and brightest stars, GEORGE CLOONEY (Ocean’s Eleven, The Perfect Storm) and Academy Award® winner CATHERINE ZETA-JONES (Chicago, Traffic), along with a cast of unusual pedigree, including Oscar® winner BILLY BOB THORNTON (Monster’s Ball, The Man Who Wasn’t There), Oscar® winner GEOFFREY RUSH (Pirates of the Caribbean, Shine), CEDRIC THE ENTERTAINER (Barbershop, The Original Kings of Comedy), EDWARD HERRMANN (Nixon, The Emperor’s Club) and RICHARD JENKINS (Changing Lanes, The Man Who Wasn’t There). Clooney portrays Miles Massey, a prominent Los Angeles divorce attorney who has everything—and in some cases, two of everything. Despite his impressive client list, a formidable win record, the respect of his peers and an ironclad contract (the “Massey pre-nup”) named after him, he’s reached a crossroads in his life. Sated on success, boredom has set in and he’s looking for new challenges. All that changes when Miles meets his match in the devastating Marylin Rexroth (Zeta-Jones). Marylin is the soon-to-be ex-wife of his client Rex Rexroth (Edward Herrmann), a wealthy real estate developer and habitual philanderer. With the help of hard charging private investigator Gus Petch (Cedric The Entertainer), she has Rex nailed and is looking forward to the financial independence a successful divorce will bring. But thanks to Miles’ considerable skills, she ends up with nothing. Not to be outdone, Marylin schemes to get even and as part of her plan, quickly marries oil tycoon Howard Doyle (Billy Bob Thornton). Miles and his unflappable associate, Wrigley (PAUL ADELSTEIN), unwittingly dig themselves in deeper and deeper as they go head-to-head with Marylin. Underhanded tactics, deceptions and an undeniable attraction escalate as Marylin and Miles square off in this classic battle of the sexes. Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment Present A Brian Grazer Production, In Association With Alphaville: George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones in Intolerable Cruelty, starring Geoffrey Rush, Cedric The Entertainer, Edward Herrmann, Richard Jenkins and Billy Bob Thornton. The casting is by Ellen Chenoweth. The music is by Carter Burwell. The costume designer is Mary Zophres. The co-producers are John Cameron and James Whitaker. The editor is Roderick Jaynes; the production designer is Leslie McDonald; and the director of photography is Roger Deakins A.S.C., B.S.C. The executive producers are James Jacks and Sean Daniel. Intolerable Cruelty is produced by Ethan Coen and Brian Grazer. The story is by Robert Ramsey & Matthew Stone and John Romano, and the screenplay is by Robert Ramsey & Matthew Stone and Ethan Coen & Joel Coen. It is directed by Joel Coen. The film is distributed worldwide by Universal Pictures. ©2003 Universal Studios. [More]