This review argues both points

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To the manner born...George Clooney carries the flag for screwball comedy in Coens''Intolerable Cruelty'

Is George Clooney the new king of screwball comedy? Think Cary Grant and Clark Gable, two dashing male leads who relished such roles in the popular 1930s and '40s genre. They fought the battle of the sexes with witty dialogue, made fun of the rich as though they existed to do so, and love reigned in the end.

It's a genre that's often been relegated to "classic" status, but with "Intolerable Cruelty" (which opens Oct. 10), the pairing of Clooney and the writer-director team of Joel and Ethan Coen may signal its comeback.

The 42-year-old star is often compared with Grant and Gable. In the Coen brothers' "O Brother, Where Art Thou?," his comic impersonation of Gable was spot-on. In such films as "One Fine Day," "Out of Sight," and "Ocean's 11," his performances have reminded viewers of Grant's suave, twinkly-eyed charisma and masculine self-assurance.

"Clooney took a lot of chances in 'O Brother,'" says film critic Richard Jameson. "He left himself open to mockery or looking foolish, playing a guy who was self-congratulatingly oafish. It was a wonderful take-off on mid-'30s Clark Gable. "He bears more of a physical resemblance to Gable," Jameson continues. "But he has the poise, smoothness and intelligence of Grant. The story's still being written, though. It's premature to go whole-hog and compare him to one of those giants." Clooney admits that being likened to such iconic stars is "very flattering."

"I get it," he says, recognizing why the comparison is made by relating it to "Intolerable Cruelty."

"I loved 'His Girl Friday,' 'Bringing Up Baby.' I'm a big fan of Preston Sturges and Howard Hawks," he adds, referring to some of the screwball genre's finest films and directors.

But as for his resemblance to Grant and Gable? "No," he says. "And look, these guys aren't here to defend themselves."

"These guys" were the sexy charmers - Gable more rugged than Grant - who in screwball's adult confrontations usually got the girl, but not until they'd both jumped through hoops.

Sometimes, though, the heroes of those comedies were book smart but naive - Henry Fonda in "The Lady Eve," Gary Cooper in "Ball of Fire," James Stewart in "You Can't Take It With You" - and are therefore outwitted, up to a point, by smartmouthed city girls played by the likes of Barbara Stanwyck or Jean Arthur.

"Intolerable Cruelty" plays out the modern battle of the sexes with sharp exchanges as a handsome, ruthless L.A. divorce lawyer, Miles Massey (Clooney), and a seductive, gold-digging divorcee, Marylin Rexroth (Catherine Zeta-Jones), scheme against each other until love conquers all. Along the way, the Coens, in the spirit of Capra and Sturges, take potshots at the rich and shallow denizens of Beverly Hills.

I gotta go with Hec on this one. Clooney has just a touch of rough scruffy shambly something that pings me as more Gable than Grant.

and Gable as Teh Slightly Dangerous and Vulpine.

Everyone must now fall in line and agree with me.

And anyone who disagrees is immediately assigned to see Red Dust, followed by China Seas.

Don't forget The Hidden as a Kyle Maclachlan movie to catch. It's a sci-fi action flick that's pretty much just an excuse to shoot lots of people and blow up Ferraris... but it's a helluva lot of fun.

ETA: Wow, I didn't even realise it was Buffista OT. The writer of The Hidden was Jim Kouf, who also wrote 3 episodes of Angel, including "Five by Five".

Whenever I see Leonardo DiCrapio I think of Bert Newton. Gives you a good indication of what Leo will look like 30 years from now. ::shudder::

(Bert's son played D'argo's son on Farscape)

I hate to be pushy, but does anyone have any guesses/theories/explanations on my Garden State questions, posted here: Lyra Jane "Buffista Movies 3: Panned and Scanned" Aug 29, 2004 10:02:19 am PDT?

They're still bugging me.

It's hard to answer your first question without watching it again, really. You could argue both ways.

I was actually thinking about your second question the other day, and it was one that didn't even occur to me. To me, it's just like characters going to the restroom and eating proper meals: you don't always seem them do it, but you assume they do.

Dude, nobody can come close to Cary Grant. Blasphemers!

t smooches GC

Dude, nobody can come close to Cary Grant.

I hear Randolph Scott got pretty close to Carry Grant.

t shuts eyes very very tightly.

I accepted Danny Kaye, I don't have to accept my Cary.