Intolerable Cruelty
Directed by Joel Coen
- comedy
- romance
The story
A revenge-seeking gold digger marries a womanizing Beverly Hills lawyer with the intention of making a killing in the divorce.
What it’s like
Sleek, widescreen Los Angeles gloss: bright sunlit Beverly Hills mansions, pastel-and-chrome interiors, and the Coens' cool, precisely staged compositions, with characters held in wide two-shots and deliberate symmetry while the camera waits just long enough for the joke to land. The palette is polished and glassy, the sound design crisp and playful, with a jaunty, swinging score that undercuts every cold-blooded moment. Vibe: sly, glamorous, cynical and giddy, a cocktail-hour caper with a knife tucked in its sleeve. It suits a lazy weekend night with a drink in hand or a comfort rewatch when you want something witty rather than cozy. Pacing is brisk and bouncy, with rapid-fire banter and sharp reversals. Its people are two supremely self-interested operators sparring their way toward grudging mutual respect, a romance built on mutual deception. Intensity is mild and mostly verbal: some slapstick violence, a few brief gunshots and a hitman subplot, but no gore, and sexual content is suggestive and comic rather than explicit. Made for viewers who enjoy screwball satire, mordant dialogue and smart, cynical romantic comedy.
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