It’s a thorny dilemma. The Roses can be dark and violent and sad, but also engaging, wickedly funny, and deliciously vicious. The film is a reimagining of the 1989 classic The War of the Roses (with Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner and Danny DeVito), based on the novel by Warren Adler. If you’ve seen or read that “source material,” then you probably know what you’re in for– a sharp detour from traditional, formulaic romantic comedies and dramas. It may not seem like the type of story one might wish to revisit, or remake. But there are two big reasons to see this contemporary twist on a marriage gone hopelessly and dangerously awry: Olivia Colman (The Favourite, The Lost Daughter, Paddington in Peru, Wicked Little Letters) and Benedict Cumberbatch (Dr. Strange, The Imitation Game, The Power of the Dog). The two versatile British actors nail the witty, biting dialogue provided by the Tony McNamara (The Favourite, Poor Things) screenplay and somehow manage to elicit an ebb and flow of love, hate, hope, sympathy, despair, and disgust as they portray a once loving and supportive couple trapped in a relationship death spiral.
Colman and Cumberbatch play Ivy and Theo Rose, a seemingly picture-perfect couple who fall in love, move to America in search of success, have twins (a boy and a girl), and settle into a comfortable life while doing what they love careerwise, though he is the primary breadwinner. Their routine is suddenly upended when Theo’s job as an architect comes crashing down (literally) just as Ivy’s career as a restaurateur is taking off like hot (crab)cakes. Roles reverse. Theo starts raising the kids more in his image. Ivy makes the big bucks. And competition and resentment start to fester, even as Theo builds the family a beautiful seaside home worthy of Architectural Digest.
The most tragic part of the story is that Ivy and Theo really do seem to love each other and want to make the marriage work. But they keep making major missteps that undermine their efforts, and they ultimately land in bitter divorce proceedings centered around who gets the house. The bitter split can be somewhat painful to watch. Fortunately, the pain is alleviated by their sharp repartee and the presence of a ludicrously quirky supporting cast led by SNL alums Andy Sandberg and Kate McKinnon.
Audience allegiances to Ivy and Theo are likely to shift as their anti-romance unfolds. Both characters are equally flawed, talented, egotistical and stubborn. Emotions are raw, authentic, tender and tragic as they fight with each other, and for each other.
In the end, you just want them to hug it out. If only.
The Roses opens in theaters August 29th.