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MONEY
Did you know
Mid-budget at $60M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.
MoodPlayr · trivia#01
Intolerable Cruelty
"Engage the enemy."
2003 1h 40m EN
😐
6.0
MID
★6.0TMDB · 1,723
ComedyRomanceCrime
Synopsis
Spoiler shield
A revenge-seeking gold digger marries a womanizing Beverly Hills lawyer with the intention of making a killing in the divorce.
“Engage the enemy.”
Cast
George Clooney
Miles
Catherine Zeta-Jones
Marilyn
Geoffrey Rush
Donovan Donaly
Cedric the Entertainer
Gus Petch
Edward Herrmann
Rex Rexroth
Paul Adelstein
Wrigley
Richard Jenkins
Freddy Bender
Billy Bob Thornton
Howard D. Doyle
Credits
Behind the camera
- Director
- Joel Coen
- Writers
- Robert Ramsey, John Romano, Robert Ramsey
- Languages
- French, English
- Countries
- United States of America
Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.
Did you know?
Fun facts 🍿
2 / 8
ERA
Did you know
Released 23 years ago.
MoodPlayr · trivia#02
3 / 8
WORLD
Did you know
Dialogue crosses 2 languages: French, English.
MoodPlayr · trivia#03
4 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Directed by Joel Coen, shot by Roger Deakins. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
MoodPlayr · trivia#04
5 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Original score by Carter Burwell. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
MoodPlayr · trivia#05
6 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Editor Ethan Coen shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
MoodPlayr · trivia#06
7 / 8
CAST
Did you know
George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones and Geoffrey Rush carry the top of the cast.
MoodPlayr · trivia#07
8 / 8
FACT
Did you know
Marketing tagline: "Engage the enemy.".
MoodPlayr · trivia#08
Cinephile deep dive
The take
Joel Coen directs. Roger Deakins behind the camera. Carter Burwell scores. Ethan Coen cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in French, English.
Trivia
Things worth knowing
- 1Mid-budget at $60M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.
- 2Released 23 years ago.
- 3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: French, English.
- 4Directed by Joel Coen, shot by Roger Deakins. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
- 5Original score by Carter Burwell. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
- 6Editor Ethan Coen shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
- 7George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones and Geoffrey Rush carry the top of the cast.
- 8Marketing tagline: "Engage the enemy.".
- 9IMDB entry: tt0138524 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
- 10Classified under 16 themes, including "infidelity", "california", "assassin", "court".
The technical file
- Cinematography
- Roger Deakins
- Original score
- Carter Burwell
- Editing
- Ethan Coen
- Production design
- Leslie McDonald
- Costume design
- Mary Zophres
- Makeup / hair
- Kelvin R. Trahan
- Sound
- Skip Lievsay
- Stunt coordinator
- Jery Hewitt
- Runtime
- 100 min · 1h 40m
- Aspect ratio (typical)
- 1.37:1 (Academy)
- Status
- Released
- Budget
- $60,000,000
- Box office
- $119,940,815
- Return
- 200% of budget
- Original language
- EN
- Certification (US)
- PG-13
Also by
Joel Coen
Stills · wallpapers
Selected frames
Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.
Trailers & featurettes
Watch the pieces
Production companies
Who made it
Universal Pictures
US
Imagine Entertainment
US
Alphaville Films
US
Mike Zoss Productions
US
Key crew
- ProducerEthan Coen
- Executive ProducerJames Jacks
- ProducerBrian Grazer
- Executive ProducerSean Daniel
- EditorEthan Coen
- ProducerJohn Cameron
- ProducerRobert Graf
- ProducerJim Whitaker
- ProducerGrant Heslov
- EditorJoel Coen
- CastingEllen Chenoweth
- Production DesignLeslie McDonald
- Art DirectionTony Fanning
- StuntsDanny Wynands
- Stunt DoubleLisa Hoyle
- StuntsEddie L. Watkins
- Set DecorationNancy Haigh
- Hair DesignerKelvin R. Trahan
- Key Hair StylistTrish Almeida
- Costume DesignMary Zophres
- Still PhotographerMelinda Sue Gordon
- Script SupervisorThomas Johnston
- Production Sound MixerPeter Kurland
- Sound Re-Recording MixerSkip Lievsay
Themes & keywords
What it's about, really
- infidelity
- california
- assassin
- court
- hitman
- fetish
- dark comedy
- satire
- romcom
- tycoon
- lawyer
- inheritance
- divorce
- screwball comedy
- gold digger
- comedy of remarriage
Release history · US
When it landed
- Theatrical2003-10-10PG-13
Also known as
International titles
- Ein unmöglicher HärtefallDE
- Avastahti goiteiaGR
- Avastaxti goiteiaGR
- Abastaxti goiteiaGR
- Amansız QəddarlıqAZ
