Saturday, April 25, 2015

Intolerable Cruelty Analysis Blog 7





                                                            Intolerable Cruelty (2003)

                                                     
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                                        Film Data

Directed by: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
Produced by: Ethan Coen,Brian Grazer and Joel Coen
Screenplay by: Robert Ramsay, Matthew Stone and Ethan Coen
Story by: Robert Ramsay,Matthew Stone and John Romano
Music by: Carter Burwell
Cinematography: Roger Deakins
Edited by: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
Production: Imagine Entertainment
Company: Alphaville, Mike Zoss Production
Distributed by: Universal Studios
Release Dates: October 10, 2003
Running Time: 100 minutes
Country: United States
Language: English
Budget: $60 Million
Box Office: $120,217,409
The Cast:
George Clooney-Miles Massey

Catherine Zeta-Jones-Marylin
Geoffrey Rush-Donovan
Cedric the Entertainer-Gus Petch
Edward Herrman-Rex Rexroth
Paul Adelstein-Wrigley
Richard Jenkins-Freddy Bender
Billy Bob Thornton-Howard D. Doyle
Julia Duffy- Sarah Sorkin
Jonathan Hadary-Heinz-the Baron Krauss von Espy
Tom Aldredge-Herb Myerson
Stacey Travis-Bonnie Donaly
Jack Kyle-Ollie Olerud
Irwin Keyes-Wheezy Joe
Judith Drake-Mrs.Gutman

                                                          Synopsis

In the beginning of the movie Donovan Donaly (Geoffrey Rush) a TV soap opera producer, comes home early and finds a big white van that read's "Ollie Fix it". Donovan hears something up stairs and His wife Bonnie (Stacey Travis) was up stairs with her ex-boyfriend, Ollie (Jack Kyle). Donovan sees the bed undone and looks like two people have been using it, also as Stacey comes out of the bathroom with her hair looking messy while buttoning up her pants.Shortly, after it erupts into a domestic situation because Ollie come out of the den and questions were not answering quickly enough when Donovan starts to take out a gun pointing it out to Ollie. Bonnie quickly hits Donovan with his lifetime achievement award on the head and then strikes him into his butt. Then Bonnie hires Miles Massey (George Clooney), a top divorce attorney and the inventor of the "Massey pre-nip" a completely bulletproof agreement. 



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As the movie continues, the private investigator Gus Petch ( Cedric the Entertainer) catches the married Rex Rexroth (Edward Herrmann) in action with a blond red bikini drunken girl in a hotel room, trying to get his groove on. Gus bursts in with his camera and the bright light shines the whole room and he say's "I am going to nail your ass" over and over. Rex and the blond lady start to yell and shout. Then Gus shows the evidence of infidelity to pretty soon ex-wife Marylin Rexroth (Catherine Zeta-Jones). 




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Gus and Marylin got together so he can show her the evidence of her husband and the other woman red handed. He was telling Marylin about how he is an ass nailer. Marylin told him you have left out tact and Gus was like if you want tact go get a "taction" because I am an ass nailer and she agreed that she was happy that he found the evidence. She was going to use this to bring her husband down and pay her for her rest of her life.

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Marylin and her lawyer, Freddy Bender (Richard Jenkins), was going to meet her husband with his popular lawyer Miles. Freddy and Miles were haggling the settlement but Kershner was the topic. They went over and over the Kershner case and at the end did resolve nothing.  Miles wanted to meet the beautiful Marylin and asker her for dinner at a low light dinner. She was very curious that he called her for dinner and Miles did not stay behind her either. But in reality he went to send Gus to find something in her home and get evidence on her.

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While in the court room Marylin and her lawyer, Freddy Bender, where for a big surprise. Miles had a plan all this time to get Marylin off and him winning the case. He brought a witness into court Baron Krauss von Espy (Jonathan Hadary) to testify against Marylin and say that she was requesting for a very rich husband that is very wealthy, easy to control, silly and had a habit of cheating.  She was out on a hunt to find someone in those lines and asked Baron Krauss Von Espy to find her one. This evidence left her open for her case to be denied and ended up with nothing.


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 After the ugly outcome of the case of Marylin and her cheating ex-husband Rex Rexroth, Marylin was not  going to take another chance for her to be left out with no money. She went out to find the homeless soap-producer Donaly in the streets of Los Angeles next to the weapon that was used on his butt, his Emmy statuette. Marylin went to look for Miles because she was going to get married with 
Howard D. Doyle (Billy Bob Thornton). She wanted to show Howard that what the rumors of her being a money digger was not true. She wanted to get a Massey prenup so Howard could see that theirs nothing to worry about and their marriage is true love. Then in the wedding Howard said that he wanted love and trust between them both, just as the priest said. Then he ripped the Massey prenup and started to eat the paper with barbecue sauce. 


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After six months later Marylin was in las Vegas also Miles he was going to present the keynote at the convention full of divorce attorneys. He bumped into Marylin and chased her in the elevator and told her that he heard she was divorced. She was feeling lonely so Miles fell into her trap and asked her on a date but making it seemed that It came from him. They spoke and drink but didn't eat because Marylin pointed out that she didn't that her friend had all the money she could ask for but was alone. They ended the night departing their own ways.
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Later that night Marylin called Miles in the middle of the night, crying. She told him that she received a phone call that advised her that her friend died. Miles came running to her room trying to save her from grief. Then, she emphasized that she died alone and crying while Miles was looking her in pain. He then quickly said they where going to get married. They got married in a little wedding chapel in Las Vegas.
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As they went into their hotel room she said something doesn't feel right saying it to Miles. She asked him if he loved her and he respond more then anything also she asked do you trust me and he said yes, more then anything. She then rip's the Massey prenup in front of his face. He told her but you are going to be exposed and she said,"a sitting duck".  The following day Miles had to give a speech and he ended up ripping his speech and instead gave a speech of love and hope to a room full of divorce lawyers. He wanted to speak from the heart and declared that he was in love. He also resigned to be the leader of the NOMAN and stated that he was going to be doing pro bono work.


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Miles finished his conference and feeling a little liberated after he opened his heart to the association. Then setting at the bar he and Wrigley (Paul Adelstein) come into the discovery that " oward D. Doyle" was just an actor. They both realized that Marylin had deceived him. Miles quickly realized that he doesn't have a prenup. He runs to the room and see's Marylin already packed and leaving the hotel. He was feeling very sad and asked her, if last night meant anything to her. She just rambled on and left. In the plane, Marylin realized that she did like him and was not to happy what she did.
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Miles old boss, Herb Myerson (Tom Aldredge) was so angry because his personal situation made the firm look bad. Herb told Miles to take care of it . Miles now being tricked by Marilyn he was not the same no more because his wealth is at risk. Miles went to hire a hit-man Wheezy Joe (Irwin Keyes) to kill Marylin. Later that night Miles sleeping in the couch of Wrigley received a phone call in the middle of the night and found out that Marylins ex-husband Rex died without changing the prenup and leaving Marylin with his millions. Marylin was not aware of the situation so Miles now was left to contact Wheezy Joe because Marylin was wealthier than him. He now can go after her millions.  


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Marylin was already aware of the situation so she paid double the amount so Wheeze can kill Miles. Miles came with Wrigley to his house to see of Marylin was their but instead Wheeze was waiting for them so he can kill them. Miles and Wrigley tried to tell Wheeze to stop it and to leave. But Wheeze did not understand and he was going to kill them and Miles sprayed the spray for the dogs onto his eyes. Wheeze was puzzled and started to shoot all over the house. He was going to use his asthma inhaler and instead he shot himself.



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The final scene was Miles, Marylin and the lawyers meeting up in the same place were Miles and Marylin first meet. Their lawyers want to discuss and negotiate a settlement between them too. Miles wanted to reconnect on a second chance and Marylin kept asking how can I trust you? She keep saying Miles how can I trust you? Then Marylin ripped the prenup and both kissed.
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Later, Miles, Marylin and their lawyers meet to negotiate a divorce. Miles pleads for a second chance and retroactively signs a Massey prenup. She tears it up, and they kiss. Then Marylin tells Miles that he must know the person she became partner with on a TV show. Doyle was the one with the idea to host a big hit  ,America's Funniest Divorce Videos and the host will be Gus Petch. 




                                      Commentary

Intolerable Cruelty is a mix of genre, it has comedy,crime and romance. But the primary idea of the movie is based on Lust and Money. The development of art in cruelty and denizens is through out the whole movie. Love gets confused with sex and money is the true motive of Love. The need of the Love of money is the force that drives all the character behind this movie, especially, in the city of Los Angeles and in the area of Beverly Hills.   


The protagonist is Miles Massey (George Clooney) and He is self centered person that seeks his own benefit. His drive is to win many divorce cases as he can and is not in pursuit of justice of the truth but the victory of him winning the cases. The divorce case have become a cash cow for him to profit massively. He knows how to play his legal angle very well. He has his own prenup called "Massey prenup". The subject is so worthy enough to teach especially at Harvard Law. 


                                   









The other main character is Marylin. She is a The wife of a serial cheater Rex Rexroth. Her motives aren't so holy too. She married for the convenience of gaining monetary benefit and was waiting for Rex to mess up and for her to take the opportunity to cash in. Once the opportunity was given for her. But the lawyer Miles was smarter and won the case. Marylin got nothing and ended up out in the streets and with no money. She was focused to rebuilt her image and bank account based on clever deceit. 
The many faces of Marylin.






 






Animals used as a Metaphor 


Marylin's friend's where already advising her about the eligible bachelors that are availability and they would like her to meet.  They started to talk by describing what he does. "First he is a Fish" Then, emphasizing his net worth, explication that he is a Fish. Finally, Sarah adds He is a top of the line: "He's a tuna". Then Marylin added and say's that Miles is a "schnauzer" and all the ladies corrected and said he was not. First Miles and then Marylin become a "sitting duck". Then the hit man Wheezy Joe is the "pigeon".




Teeth

Miles is always occupied with his teeth and throughout the movie you can see him putting extreme attention to them. He likes to whiten his teeth with ultraviolet so he can present a grand smile into the court room also his clients. He "enhances his own appearance and the appearance of his arguments. Miles does have a bit, this bite is characterized as his presentation and manipulation of arguments". His teeth of power is to have victory on the court room winning the divorce cases.

Marylin's poodle bits Miles in the elevator and her rottoweiler's show their teeth to Rex while he runs for cover inside his car. Then in the court room Baron is worried about his dog's teeth and asks for  a milk bone. Teeth have a metaphor of "calculated presentation and manipulation of arguments". (Conrad)



Religion  

Hell is being represent in L.A. and the center is Beverly Hills because the main focus are vanity, lust, betrayal, money,prenups and divorces. The cruelty's belief in material, wealth, and no matter how to get it or the price on how to get it, as long its obtained.  The inhabit's are seen as the "comely devils".



Nailing your Ass

This is represented as a person that is "calculating, deceptive, and powerful".  "When Miles and Marylin had dinner for the 1st time she and Miles where chatting and she told him that she wants to nail her husband ass and mount it on her wall, and then he responds that he was looking at the same thing". "an ass to mount" Marylin quick answered back and told you better not be looking at mine.

Nailing each others Ass is the point of this movie. Someone is hunting somebody else's bank account and nailing it for their own benefit. The strategy of Marylin is to make the man trust her. Once he trusts her he makes the decision that the prenup is not necessary in their relationship. Then thats when Marylin has the legal right to take him for everything he has.


Femme Fatale

Marylin is your Femme Fatale she is a stronge and seducetive woman. She enjoy's to con man out of their money for her own financial freedom. She brings man to the point of financial disaster. She loves having power and enjoys the chase of winning. 



The conclusion of the movie was that they both fell for each other games. Miles being a divorce lawyer must of seen the many games and traps that the divorce couples do to each othe while agreeing into a settlement. Eventhough Miles witnessed and was part of the conniving part, still that didn't help him. Because he fell in love with Marylin, she out smarted him and she was wiser and sharper then Miles. They understood each other mental capacity. 


Works Cited

Conard, Mark. The Philosophy of The Coen Brothers. Lexington: U of Kentucky, 2012. Print.

Rowell, Erica. The Brothers Grim: The Films of Ethan and Joel Coen. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow, 2007. Print.


Images
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