Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- sardonic
- irreverent
- date night
- lazy sunday
What critics said
Critics generally found the mainstream Coen brothers comedy entertaining, particularly praising its oddball touches and the sizzling chemistry between George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Miles Massey and Marilyn weaponize prenups, legal tactics, and marital breakdown in their escalating contest.
The Los Angeles divorce elite, eccentric clients, and underhanded schemes are presented with sleek deadpan comic exaggeration.
Miles and Marilyn develop undeniable chemistry while repeatedly deceiving and challenging one another.
The film’s critics specifically noted Clooney and Zeta-Jones sizzling like old-time movie stars, while the plot adopts classic battle-of-the-sexes rhythms.
Films like Intolerable Cruelty, and why
The Lady Eve
Shared screwball energy, battle-of-the-sexes romance, eccentric characters, and sharp social satire.
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
Shared romantic rivalry, fast verbal wit, polished studio comedy style, and oppositional chemistry between leads.
The Big Lebowski
Shared crime-comedy mechanics, cynical professional protagonists, absurdist humor, and escalating deception.
Raising Arizona
Shared Coen-style oddball criminality, deadpan satire, romantic entanglements, and stylized comic plotting.
Movie Details
- Director
- Joel Coen
- Release Date
- 2003-10-10
- Runtime
- 100 min
- Rating
- 6.0 / 10 (1719)
Cast
- George Clooney
- Catherine Zeta-Jones
- Geoffrey Rush
- Cedric the Entertainer
- Edward Herrmann
- Paul Adelstein
- Richard Jenkins
- Billy Bob Thornton
- Julia Duffy
- Jonathan Hadary
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Intolerable Cruelty about?
- A bored Los Angeles divorce lawyer meets his most dangerous opponent when a savvy client’s ex-wife turns legal revenge into a seductive battle of wits.
- What is Intolerable Cruelty like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Intolerable Cruelty as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Intolerable Cruelty violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Intolerable Cruelty as mild.
- What did critics think of Intolerable Cruelty?
- Critics generally found the mainstream Coen brothers comedy entertaining, particularly praising its oddball touches and the sizzling chemistry between George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
- Which films are like Intolerable Cruelty?
- Films with a similar feel include The Lady Eve, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, The Big Lebowski, and Raising Arizona.
- How long is Intolerable Cruelty?
- Intolerable Cruelty runs 100 minutes.
- Where can I watch Intolerable Cruelty?
- In United States, Intolerable Cruelty is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
