The 1981 novel โThe War of the Rosesโ felt like a mainstream work of transgressive satire, as its merciless satire of a picturesque American family was perfectly synced to the Reagan-era obsession with โfamily values.โ The 1989 adaptation from Danny DeVito may not have been as nuanced in its perspective on class struggles, but it certainly captured the debauchery and ruthlessness of the material, with Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner offering a dark inversion of their previous collaboration on โRomancing the Stone.โ
Itโs both fascinating and praiseworthy that Jay Roachโs remake, โThe Roses,โ is not quite as cynical as its predecessor, and finds an undercurrent of warmth within both of its protagonists. If โThe War of the Rosesโ was a dramatic soap opera that reached a โLooney Tunesโ level of violence, โThe Rosesโ is a carefully constructed series of microaggressions that paint a sad portrayal of a tormented marriage. Any relationship is bound to have peaks and valleys, and โThe Rosesโ is at its best when it emphasizes the cyclical nature of reunion and rejection.
Theo Rose (Benedict Cumberbatch) is a successful architect who has grown discontent with his employers, as he longs to do meaningful work that is not objected to strict regimentation. A chance encounter at a business meeting introduces him to the high-end chef Ivy (Olivia Colman), whose snarky, snappy attitude complements him perfectly. Although their marriage has lasted for a decade with only light ribbing, an unexpected series of career developments leaves Theo as the primary caretaker of their children, with Ivy putting more emphasis on her new restaurant. They initially adjust quite well, but Theo grows restless as heโs burdened by mundanity; Ivy, feeling that she has been undercut as a parent, grows increasingly resistant to his qualms.
As entertaining as DeVitoโs โThe War of the Rosesโ was, it painted a portrayal of domestic paranoia that struggled to find any genuine compassion within the charactersโ dynamic. If anything, both were so self-absorbed and blissfully ignorant that they deserved one another. โThe Rosesโ asks for more sympathy, as both Theo and Ivy struggle with issues that are out of their control.
Even if it similarly lacks the ability to say something relevant about the job market, as โThe Rosesโ rarely acknowledges its charactersโ privileges, it is sympathetic to Theoโs anxieties about not being offered a creative outlet. While Ivy could have easily been transformed into a domineering, prickly maternal figure, Colman finds a defensive vulnerability within a character who is made to feel guilty about her professional success.
โThe Rosesโ hails from director Jay Roach, an underrated figure in the modern comedy landscape, who helmed the โAustin Powersโ series, as well as Oscar-nominated biopics โTrumboโ and โBombshell.โ If there are any of Roachโs prior credits that are similar in tone to โThe Roses,โ it’s โMeet the Parentsโ and its sequel, โMeet the Fockers,โ which explored how awkward interactions between family members are exacerbated by conforming to social pressures. โThe Rosesโ isnโt quite as raunchy as Roachโs prior work, but its restraint is often to the filmโs benefit. The most effective stingers are the nasty exchanges of witty banter by the central duo, as โPoor Thingsโ screenwriter Tony McNamara finds increasingly creative ways for them to insult one another.
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The issue with โThe Rosesโ is that these entertaining sequences are haphazardly sprinkled within a film that lacks a compelling structure. As interesting as it is for the film not to turn into a perpetual escalation, as it aims to be more reflective of the actual ups and downs of a marriage, the goalposts seem to move for what characters hope to achieve.
While at first Theo’s adjustment to domesticity and unusual parenting goals creates tension, it transforms into a battle of personal pride, and then a fierce battle over ownership of both property and children.ย Perhaps the intention was to show the parasitic nature of the ego, as Ivy and Theo are so desperate to impress and outdo one another that theyโre willing to fight to the death over any minor kerfuffle. Nonetheless, the structural confusion becomes increasingly apparent as the film continues, particularly in the awkward way that the children are cut out of the story.
It helps that both Cumberbatch and Colman can play authentic characters that donโt feel like caricatures, as both Theo and Ivy are relatively ordinary people who lose sight of their dignity when pushed to their emotional extremes. Unfortunately, โThe Rosesโ is often confused about just how serious it wants to be. While there are moments of spontaneity and nastiness that feel more reflective of Roachโs prior work, it’s often a more serious romantic dramedy in the vein of Nancy Meyers or Noah Baumbach. Even if many of the conversations the characters share are profound, it no longer feels realistic for them to retain the status quo of their relationship.
โThe Rosesโ also underserves its supporting cast, as the friendly American couple Barry (Andy Samberg) and Amy (Kate McKinnon) only exist to show what a more well-mannered, if equally unhappy marriage would look like. Both Samberg and McKinnon excel at playing wacky characters with memorable zingers, but they feel far too broad for a film that is otherwise conforming to a somewhat recognizable version of reality. Alison Janney has a standout scene as a divorce lawyer hired by Ivy, but her presence is introduced too late within the story to have a significant impact.
โThe Rosesโ is rarely dull, as even the most banal moments of infighting generally conclude with a humorous sight gag or cutting observation about gender dynamics. Nonetheless, thereโs an odd lack of weight to some of the more outrageous scenarios, making it unclear when either Ivy or Theo would reach their breaking point. Itโs only in the last act that โThe Rosesโ fully commits to one specific standoff, which is largely repeated by most of the side characters, including the uninteresting children. It shouldnโt be a surprise that this is also the funniest and most inventive aspect of the film. โThe Rosesโ ends on such a high note that it is easy to dismiss some of its previous flaws.
โThe Rosesโ opted to be subversive in a different way than its predecessor. It would no longer feel shocking for a film to deal with the toxicity of marriage, so it was likely a smart decision to highlight how easy it can be for affection to be misconstrued, distorted, and misappropriated. It’s certainly a mixed bag, as despite some rather laborious scenes of circular reasoning, โThe Rosesโ has moments when it feels like one of the yearโs funniest films.