After making such films as "Fargo," "The Big Lebowski" and "O Brother, Where Art Thou," one would think the Coen brothers would have figured out what makes a good film. This thought, however, would be wrong in the case of "Intolerable Cruelty."

The film revolves around a divorce attorney named Miles Massey (George Clooney) whose success in his profession is unparalleled. He is a smooth-talking, conniving, manipulative man who finds his equal in one of his client’s ex-wives, Marilyn Rexroth, played by Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Marilyn Rexroth makes a living off of marrying wealthy men and then divorcing them on the grounds of infidelity. Massey meets her when Rex Rexroth (Edward Herrmann) hires him to handle his divorce proceedings. From there Massey and Marilyn start a relationship that borders on the ridiculous; the two, while falling for each other, conspire to outwit one another.

Clooney and Zeta-Jones are well cast in their roles. Clooney’s Massey resembles another of his comedic roles, Ulysses, from "O Brother." Massey, however, is much smarter than Ulysses could ever hope to be. Zeta-Jones’ Marilyn resembles her character in ," Velma Kelly. She is just as mean and manipulative as Kelly, but lacks her dance moves.

Together, the pair play off each other well, making for some of the funnier scenes in the movie. Billy Bob Thornton gives a believable performance as a gullible filthy rich oil tycoon who falls for Marilyn, while Cedric the Entertainer rounds off the cast playing a greedy private detective whose methods of surveillance are rather unorthodox.

While this film has all the makings of a great screwball comedy, it simply does not deliver. Despite the performances given by the cast, they did not have a good script to work with. The relationship between Massey and Marilyn, while humorous at times, was predictable. Their plots against each other were made so obvious that it was boring to watch them unfold. They were too clever for their own good and for the good of the film.

The dialogue, while well-delivered and funny at times, lacked the wit that is a trademark of the Coen brothers’ films. Finally, while entertaining enough to keep audiences awake, the plot of the film lacked the bizarre quality that most Coen brothers’ films revolve around.

When compared to the previous work of the Coen brothers, it seems "Intolerable Cruelty" was their attempt at making a more conventional film. This being the case, perhaps I am being a bit hard on the Coens. When compared to other romantic comedies, "Intolerable Cruelty" is a breath of fresh air. With its two characters conspiring against one another, "Intolerable Cruelty" puts a new spin on what has become a tapped genre.