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| Intolerable Cruelty DVD Review |
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Order this DVD from Amazon.com
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Intolerable Cruelty
(Universal Studios Home Entertainment)
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| DVD Release Date:
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February 10, 2004
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| Length:
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100 mins.
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| Rated:
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PG
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| Format:
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Widescreen (1.85:1)
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| Audio:
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DTS 5.1 English, Dolby Digital 5.1 English, French, Spanish
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| Subtitles:
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English Captions, French/Spanish Subtitles
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| Extras:
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"A Look Inside Intolerable Cruelty" Featurette, "The Wardrobe" Featurette, Filmmaker Approved and Assembled Outtakes, Cast and Filmmaker Feature
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Intolerable Cruelty wasn't as intolerable cruel as I was lead to believe it would be. I remember first reading about this movie a couple of years ago and thought the premise was pretty cool. Some of the first pictures from the movie even made their debut right here at Empire Movies. But when the movie was finally released, it just didn't seem to generate the buzz I expected. Sure, it got some critical acclaim (like most movie from the Coen brothers do), but from what I read and heard, it just wasn't as good as it could have been. Still, as a fan of the Coens, I had an obligation to check it out for myself.
The movie stars George Clooney as Miles Massey, a famed divorce attorney who has begun to question what he does. His job has become too easy for him, and he needs a challenge to revitalize himself. That challenge comes in the form of Marylin Rexroth (Catherine Zeta-Jones). And, while Miles destroys Marilyn in the courtroom, she still (in one of the better lines from the movie) fascinates him. This sets in motion a cat and mouse game between the two that leads to Vegas, marriage, divorce, death and marriage again - and it's all pretty funny - especially the death.
The movie (like most Coen productions) is filled with a colorful cast of supporting characters, all of whom bring that something extra to the movie. Geoffrey Rush takes it in the ass for comedic effect. The Coens were right to choo-choose Edward Herrmann as Marilyn's first husband. (I'm trying to be funny there.) Billy Bob Thornton was excellent as Marilyn next husband in one of the many great roles he had on film last year - as much as the guy bugs me, he's still a good actor. And Cedric the Entertainer nailed your ass as everybody's go-to private detective. Overall, if it weren't for the characters, this wouldn't have been anything - they were what made this movie.
Unfortunately, there's not a lot in special features here. For featurettes, we get "A Look Inside Intolerable Cruelty" which is your run-of-the-mill look at the making of the movie. If your looking for insight into the movie from the filmmakers, this is pretty much all your going to get since unfortunately there is no commentary.
The next featurette is appropriately titled "The Wardrobe". It's a look at the costume design from the film. Features like this make me wonder who is interested in this kind of stuff. Why do they bother putting it on DVDs. But I guess that could be said about anything. Watching the feature though, I began to realize how much work goes into the costume design, so it's only fitting that they dedicate some time to discussing it. Learning that George Clooney's suit is modeled after Cary Grant. Or getting another look Catherine Zeta-Jones wearing anything was a treat.
Also for special features are some "Filmmaker Approved and Assembled Outtakes". They include "Paul Adelstein in 'Everybody Eats Berries'" which was at times funny, but about half way through, I was begging for it to be over. You have to see it to know what I'm talking about. Also, there's a series of bloopers and outtakes featuring George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones - standard fare. Finally, there's "Rex Rexroth's Home Movie" which, again, you'd have to see the movie to understand. The guy has a train fetish and the home movie in question is just a train. I'm sure that's supposed to be funny, but again, I just wanted it to be over. I guess you could say I was subjected to some Intolerably Cruelty here.
The final feature is dedicated to Cast and Filmmaker bios. There is an option for DVD-ROM content, but there was nothing to be found.
So I don't know what to say about Intolerable Cruelty. I had high expectations, then low expectations, and after seeing the movie, it was only okay. It didn't blow my socks off by any stretch of the imagination. The characters would have to be the strongest part of the film for me - it just needed something more. But, that doesn't mean I'm not looking forward to the next Coen brothers movie...
| The Movie: |
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5/10 |
| The Extras: |
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4/10 |
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Liam Cullin - Editor
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