For Valentine’s Day, my wife and I watched Intolerable Cruelty starring George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones. The film is funny, witty, and inspired us to next watch Chicago, the musical film she starred in right before. Before all that jazz, I watched the second episode of a new Netflix talk-show, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman. This month’s guest is George Clooney, the episode was enjoyable so I wanted to watch another Clooney project and I chose 2010’s, The American. George Clooney was born on May 6 in Lexington, Kentucky, and my favorite projects of his include ER, From Dusk Till Dawn, Ocean’s Eleven, and O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Intolerable Cruelty

IMDB

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0138524/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_29

2003, PG, 1h 40m

Co-written and directed by the Coen brothers Ethan and Joel, (who also made O Brother, Where Art Thou? with Clooney), Intolerable Cruelty is a quick paced, witty rom-com with plenty of laughs. Clooney and Zeta-Jones pair well, speaking quickly and sharply, amping up the tension between them with him being a divorce lawyer who begins to fall for her, a gold digger. Filmed mostly in California, the movie pokes fun at the behaviour of those who seek to marry rich and soon divorce, in addition to Clooney who both can appear both slick and goofy.

The American

IMDB

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1440728/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_15

2010, 14A, 1h 45m

The American is based on the 1990 novel by Martin Booth called A Very Private Gentleman about a gunsmith who is both working and trying to have a life in Italy. Filmed primarily in Italy, the movie has that European feeling with long shots without dialogue and loves showing off the countryside and cobblestone streets. Clooney is ok with mature content in this film, something he usually avoids, and that adds to the European vibe. He excels here making me believe he is good at his craft but I wanted more time with him debating with a friend he makes, it is there that his mentality and character can show through.

My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman

IMDB

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt7829834/?ref_=nm_flmg_slf_3

2018, 1h

I have missed seeing David Letterman’s interviews since he stopped being the late show host in 2015. His were more personal and entertaining, sometimes awkward but that only made them seem more real. His new show is 6, 1 hour interviews with famous folks who I don’t have to tell you about, with the first episode being Barack Obama. In the second episode, Letterman travels to Kentucky to visit Clooney’s parents and see his childhood home, in addition to picking George’s brain about his interests, charities, and life in general. Casually being himself, Clooney is charming, well spoken, and makes the interview fun.