Danny DeVito’s The War of the Roses remains one of the most twisted anti-romances ever put to film. If you’re going to adapt Warren Adler’s source material again, Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman are well-suited to play a couple who thrive on finishing each other’s insults. Tony McNamara (Poor Things, The Favourite) also has a knack for savage dialogue, which lends itself to the premise. Yet, Jay Roach isn’t the best choice to direct The Roses. Roach has made some classic comedies like Meet the Parents and the Austin Powers trilogy. He’s even demonstrated his dramatic range with Recount, Game Change, and Bombshell, among others. When we think of dark comedy, though, Roach doesn’t have DeVito’s edge.
That said, The Roses isn’t trying to be DeVito’s film. In an era of so many shot-for-shot, nostalgia-bait remakes, The Roses refreshing tries to stand on its own. For the most part, it works, even if this isn’t in the same league as its predecessor. Like Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner, Cumberbatch and Colman are a convincing couple in more ways than one. We buy that these two would fall in love, but we also believe that they would come to loathe each other over time. Their marriage naturally deteriorates as Cumberbatch’s Theo hits a professional low and Colman’s Ivy enters a new phase of her career.
Theo thus stays home with the twins, who he changes from sugar addicts to fitness junkies. Hats off to the casting director for finding not just one set of nearly identical kid actors (Delaney Quinn, Ollie Robinson), but two (Hala Finley, Wells Rappaport). The casting, in general, is pretty spot-on with funny supporting work from Andy Samberg, Kate McKinnon, and Zoë Chao. Allison Janney also appears as a divorce lawyer, a role she can do in her sleep and still appear more awake than anyone else. It’s a shame she’s only in one scene, but The Roses belongs to Colman and Cumberbatch.
The film might not go as dark as the DeVito version. Colman doesn’t bite Cumberbatch’s genitalia or trick him into thinking he’s eaten the dog. While actions speak louder than words, Tony McNamara knows how to write biting dialogue that leaves a mark. To Theo and Ivy, their constant roasting of each other is playful banter. To a therapist, it’s a red flag that this marriage is beyond repairing. Theo and Ivy are a match made in hell. They deserve each other, but can’t live together on the same roof. So, who will claim the roof along with the rest of their home?
It’s only a matter of time until their dream home becomes a battlefield. There’s a reason why this film is called The Roses and not War of the Roses, however. The “war” in question isn’t truly declared until the last half-hour. While this contributes to some pacing issues, the film does escalate to an appropriately grim finale. No spoilers here, but it is a fresh spin on the source material while remaining faithful to its tone. I admire The Roses for carving its own path, but still can’t help but compare it to DeVito’s film. It’s a double-edged sword, much like the central couple. Nevertheless, the Roses still have thorns.