"I eat men like you for breakfast."
"I eat men like you for breakfast."
STARRING
George Clooney
Catherine Zeta-Jones
Billy Bob Thorton
Directed by the Coen Brothers, rated PG-13
What a horrible way to begin the year 2004. This is the most disappointing movie I have seen in a long time. I had high hopes for it, but unfortunately this film did not live up to them.
Something needs to be understood: I am not a fan of romantic comedies. They really get on my nerves, because they never seem to be anything original. All of the “chick flicks” I have seen follow a certain formula. That formula is:
1) Boy meets girl or girl meets guy, depending on the protagonist.
2) Boy and girl either immediately fall in love or experience conflict before doing so.
3) Once they are “in love”, they face conflict with either themselves or others (another boyfriend or girlfriend is the most common plot device used)
4) In the end, the conflict is resolved and they kiss and live happily ever after.
That’s it. That is the formula that all romantic comedies seem to follow. And I just can’t understand why they are so popular. However, this was one romantic comedy I actually wanted to see. Why? Three words: the Coen Brothers.
These guys were responsible for some good movies that I have seen (O Brother Where Art Thou? and The Man Who Wasn’t There) as well as some supposedly excellent movies I haven’t (Raising Arizona, Miller’s Crossing, The Big Lebowski, etc.) They always seem to be able to take simple ideas and turn them into original and creative movies that actually make the viewer think a little. That is why I wanted to see this movie. I thought they would be able to make a romantic comedy that didn’t rely on the clichéd and overused formula.
I was wrong. The movie follows Miles Massey (Clooney), a lawyer who will do anything to win a case and specializes in those related with divorce. Feeling bored with life, he wishes to be challenged for once. He meets a client’s ex-wife, Marilyn Rexroth (Zeta-Jones), and immediately becomes infatuated with her. The catch: she has a habit of marrying wealthy men and then divorcing them in an attempt to get rich quick. The movie is about both of them trying to outwit the other, though naturally they supposedly end up “in love”, while making the audience ask: Is it real love, or is it all just manipulation?
I expected more from the Coen Brothers. In some ways this film is different than most romantic comedies; however, this hinders as well as helps it. There are a few interesting and funny twists (particularly those involving Miles’ boss and a hired assassin named Wheezy Joe), but for the most part this film is very predictable. It’s obvious the Coens tried to be different and not follow the formula – for example, unlike most romantic comedies, the major conflict revolves around the two main characters and no one else. It’s basically just a battle of the sexes with a little romance thrown in. In some ways this backfires and ruins the movie. There is so much conflict between Miles and Marilyn that when they’re finally supposed to really be in love, Clooney and Zeta-Jones have absolutely no chemistry and the whole thing feels extremely forced and unbelievable. They should be commended for their acting; although it isn’t great, it’s good considering the script they had to work with (the true standout though is Thorton, who once again proves he can do comedy as well as serious dramas). After all the characters go through, there’s no way that true love could actually exist. When the comedy ends, the serious moments don’t connect. As in most of these films, in the end Miles ends up giving a speech about love that’s supposed to be inspiring. But due to the unbelievable situations and characters it sounds extremely corny and unrealistic. For an example of what a good speech is like, see About Schmidt. It’s as if the Coen Brothers tried to be original, but instead ended up following the formula to such an extent that the movie fails to strike any chords whatsoever with the audience. I for one expected more.
In terms of offensive content, there’s quite a lot. There’s a lot of profanity, and several implied sexual encounters between various characters. Most of this is supposed to come off as funny, but very few of it actually works. For the most part this is just the same stuff we’ve seen before, and in some ways it’s even worse than that. It deserves a 4/10. They did get one thing right though: the title. Making us sit through this movie is a perfect example of intolerable cruelty.
The Bottom Line: Extremely disappointing. Very unoriginal for the most part.
Should I see it? If you like romantic comedies or are simply a die-hard Coen Brothers fan, you might want to rent it. Otherwise, stay away.