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Intolerable Cruelty

Date: Oct 29 2003

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

In the new movie Intolerable Cruelty, Miles Massey (George Clooney) is a prominent and successful Los Angeles divorce attorney. He has an impressive client list, a formidable win record and the respect of his peers. However, he’s reached a crossroads in his life. Sated on success, boredom has set in and he’s looking for new challenges. All that changes when Miles meets his match in the devastating Marylin Rexroth (Catherine Zeta-Jones).
Marylin is the soon-to-be ex-wife of Rex Rexroth, a wealthy real estate developer and habitual philanderer. She caught Rex cheating and is looking forward to the financial independence a successful divorce will bring. But thanks to Miles, who is Rex’s lawyer, she ends up with nothing.
Beth recently saw this on-screen battle of the sexes. Listen in to her conversation with Miguel to hear what she thinks of it.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Miguel

Beth

Miguel: Beth, have you seen the new George Clooney movie?

Beth: I did. With Catherine Zeta-Jones and, uh, Billy Bob Thornton.

Miguel: Yeah. So is it good, or what?

Beth: It was fun, but I think the preview really captured the best scenes, and then towards the end it got to be just a little too silly.

Miguel: So, what’s the best part of it? I mean, I agree – the previews looked great. Like, I was super fired up to see it.

Beth: Well, the funny part is just the dysfunctional marriages and sort of the irony of this woman trying to be a money hungry, sort of aggressive, uh, wife, looking for different eligible bachelors. And it was just kinda funny, but then, after three different, sort of, variations of the same theme, it was just a little too much.

Miguel: So that’s the same theme – like, the gold-digger wife, or something trying to get money.

Beth: Totally – over and over again.

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Discussion

After seeing the previews, I had mixed feelings about Intolerable Cruelty. While I like George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones, I just wasn’t sure if the movie would be good. Beth has confirmed my suspicions, so I think I’ll wait until it comes out on video before I see it. It doesn’t sound like it’s worth the eight bucks to see it in the theater.
Although Intolerable Cruelty doesn’t seem like a great movie, the Coen Brothers, who made the film, have made some amazing films in the past. You should check out Fargo, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Raising Arizona and The Big Lebowski.
See you at the movies!
Anna