Intolerable Cruelty

Play trailer

Intolerable Cruelty

PG-13

2003

1h 40m

Romance

Comedy

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

76%

Tomatometer

187 Reviews

48%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Miles Massey (George Clooney) is an exceptional divorce lawyer who specializes in saving cheating husbands from having to pay expensive settlements. Unchallenged, he wearies of his life -- until he meets the cunning Marylin Rexroth (Catherine Zeta-Jones). When Massey's representation of her husband in court denies her any divorce compensation, Marylin vows to get revenge, enlisting the help of an oil baron (Billy Bob Thornton), and the two vie for the advantage in a flirtatious duel of wits.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Though more mainstream than other Coen films, there are still funny oddball touches, and Clooney and Zeta-Jones sizzle like old-time movie stars.

Read Critics Reviews

Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

12/24/2010

4/5

Screwball comedy for older teens and adults.

Go to Full Review

Richard Corliss

TIME Magazine

10/13/2009

Here's an anomaly: a comedy about smart people.

Go to Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

11/07/2007

The Coens do an efficient job of stamping their signature grotesquerie on sumptuous Beverly Hills and Las Vegas settings and ladling on gallows humor and malice, sometimes with the verve of early Robert Zemeckis.

Go to Full Review

Andrew Collins

Radio Times

Aug 19

3/5

There are moments of inspired, slapstick brilliance, and Clooney works his socks off, but it lacks a hard centre and plot keeps racing ahead of character.

Go to Full Review

Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

12/24/2023

3.5/5

George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones manage to elevate the Coens' underrated Intolerable Cruelty through their performances and chemistry.

Go to Full Review

Mitchell Beaupre

Paste Magazine

09/29/2023

8/10

Just when you think you have a handle on how this story is going to unfold, the Coens toss another massive curveball that throws you for a loop yet again.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Ben W

@Username618 Jun 2

Like The Last Seduction with fart jokes? So. The Coen bros were my favourites growing up- swear by. I then... had to account for myself. Couldn't. Swear at. If I'm being serious, and it's a difficult thought to express... I view their work less as a completed work, more as their telling us how they've been doing, suffused with what they've been reading; aaaand. I just find the contempt a bit stifling, sorry. Oeuvre. Making crime novels into film- Dashiell Hammet (Glass Key/ Miller's Crossing), Raymond Chandler (Long Goodbye/Big Lebowski), James M Cain (Postman always.../Man who was not...) , ... Fargo, Blood Simple. Making novels ?- True Grit; No Country for Old Men. Inside Llelwyn Davis, O Brother. A serious man. Barton Fink. Trying to be funny / screwball ? comedy- and just about succeeding; Hudsucker Proxy , Raising Arizona. And failing miserably: The Ladykillers, Intolerable Cruelty, Burn After Reading.

See more

bob c

@RT46426964 Sep 26

Opening scenes too good to sustain. But light rom com good ok.

See more

thiago s

@Thiagostone Aug 15

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

See more

Faiz D

@RT95588871 05/13/2025

Cruel entertainment... Clooney and Zeta-Jones sparkle!

See more

Luke S

@put3__ 08/21/2023

The idea of this movie is really good and some moments really made me laugh, but the as a whole... it is a MESS. I can't give it over 50% no matter how much others tell me that it is worth it.

See more

Gareth v

@geewah 06/19/2023

Along with "The Labykillers" which followed this movie, the Coen's managed to make two of their worst movies back to back. The jokes are thin, the characters unlikable, just a really disappointing effort.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Joel Coen

Director

George Clooney

Miles Massey

Catherine Zeta-Jones

Marylin

Geoffrey Rush

Donovan Donaly

Cedric the Entertainer

Gus Petch

Richard Jenkins

Freddy Bender

Intolerable Cruelty: Official Clip - The Urge to Wedlock

2:54

Intolerable Cruelty: Official Clip - Doyle Eats the Prenup

1:34

Intolerable Cruelty: Official Clip - You Fascinate Me

1:30

Intolerable Cruelty: Official Clip - That Silly Man

2:35

Intolerable Cruelty: Official Clip - Carnivores

1:54

Intolerable Cruelty: Official Clip - It's a Negotiation

2:10

Intolerable Cruelty: Official Clip - The Senior Partner

1:29

Intolerable Cruelty: Official Clip - Wheezy Joe

1:34

Intolerable Cruelty: Official Clip - Love Is Good

2:57

Intolerable Cruelty: Official Clip - The Ass Nailer

1:17

View more videos

Something's Gotta Give

72%

69%

Something's Gotta Give

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Something's Gotta Give

Down With Love

60%

62%

Down With Love

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Down With Love

Along Came Polly

27%

47%

Along Came Polly

Watchlist

Just Married

20%

47%

Just Married

Watchlist

Laws of Attraction

18%

47%

Laws of Attraction

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Box Office: Panda Remains Champ Over Super Bowl Weekend

Digital Multiplex: West of Memphis and Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Total Recall: Welcome to Coen Brothers Country

View more photos

Synopsis

Miles Massey (George Clooney) is an exceptional divorce lawyer who specializes in saving cheating husbands from having to pay expensive settlements. Unchallenged, he wearies of his life -- until he meets the cunning Marylin Rexroth (Catherine Zeta-Jones). When Massey's representation of her husband in court denies her any divorce compensation, Marylin vows to get revenge, enlisting the help of an oil baron (Billy Bob Thornton), and the two vie for the advantage in a flirtatious duel of wits.

Director: Joel Coen
Producer: Brian Grazer, Ethan Coen
Screenwriter: Robert Ramsey, Matthew Stone, Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, Robert Ramsey, Matthew Stone, John Romano
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: The KL Line, Imagine Entertainment, Alphaville Films
Rating: PG-13 (Language|Brief Violence|Sexual Content)
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 10, 2003, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 22, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $35.1M
Runtime: 1h 40m
Sound Mix: Surround

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings