‘The Roses’ Traps Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch in an Elegantly Savage Cycle of Love and Hate 

Alci Rengifo

Love can switch into hate in a flash. That is what made 1989’s “The War of the Roses” such a fun anti-romance. Adapted from a novel by Warren Adler and directed by Danny DeVito, it struck acidic comedy gold with Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner as a married couple we see descend from swooning to literal violence. It’s no wonder the material had natural appeal for writer Tony McNamara, whose work tends to display wicked glee in exposing civilized behavior as a mere ruse. With director Jay Roach, McNamara reimagines the story as “The Roses,” a parable fit for our times about the ways an upper class union can fall apart. His dialogue almost demands that Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman be cast as the central pair. They make evolving rage sound so refined.

The Roses of the title are Theo (Cumberbatch) and Ivy (Colman) Rose. He is an architect and she is a talented chef. They met in the kitchen of a high-end restaurant in London before deciding to chase success in California. Ten years later they are married and living in Northern California’s Mendocino County with two children, Hattie and Roy (Delaney Quinn and Ollie Robinson). Theo is consumed with the design of a museum about coastal, sea-faring life while Ivy has opened a small restaurant, “We Got Crabs,” which serves her delicious recipes to a few locals. Life then takes some sudden turns when a storm demolishes Theo’s museum, exposing the design’s flaws while at the same time driving rain-drenched customers to Ivy’s joint, including a prominent food critic who gives her exposure. A fired Theo finds himself staying at home raising the kids while Ivy launches a massively successful restaurant chain. The seeds planted for emerging resentments and other feelings that will eventually explode into divorce proceedings.

Both Roach and McNamara have made memorable work exploring the perils of human relationships. The director’s best known films include “Meet the Parents,” basically a modern comedy classic about honesty and the strain of meeting your partner’s family. McNamara is probably best known for penning Yorgos Lanthimos’ “The Favourite,” that great acerbic takedown of monarchy also starring Olivia Colman as a spoiled Queen Anne, involved in a semi-erotic bond with the overseer of her court. It’s almost natural that these two were drawn to Adler’s novel and the DeVito film. “I didn’t want to do a remake, I wanted to reimagine it,” McNamara told Entertainment Voice. “The first movie was more of a physical farce, so the question was how do we make it into a more character-driven film that’s more about marriage than about divorce?”

That is indeed a major difference with the ’89 film in that “The Roses” takes more time to trace the evolution of a relationship. It has an overall warmer heart punctuated by biting wit. “There was something I had never done before which is to go for the full extremes of the human experience,” Roach told Entertainment Voice. “The emotion in this script was compelling.” Certain elements that were side pieces in the first rendering are expanded here, like Ivy indulging the kids in sugary treats to Theo’s despair. In this version, Theo keeps the kids from becoming chunky snackers by raising them to become fitness obsessives who take off for exercise camp cheerfully by age 13 (played as teens by Hala Finley and Wells Rappaport). The couple’s plights are also enhanced for our age of social media. Theo’s museum doesn’t just fall apart during a storm, the catastrophe goes viral and the proud architect lives the nightmare of seeing himself become a meme. Ivy has a better time with the internet helping boost her profile. She’s soon jetting off to hang out with the likes of David Chang while giving Theo the funds to build a dream house for them. 

All these elements feed into a sharp take on a breakup. Instead of having the marriage fall apart over some sudden crossing of the line, like the go-to plot device of cheating for example, the reasons for the Roses eventually going to war are subtly grounded. Theo may seem quite admirable in choosing to be a stay at home dad while pondering what a fresh career option could be, leaving Ivy to become the full provider. With time there’s the growing resentment of Ivy being gone all the time and scarcely giving the family her full attention. She in turn will resent how close Theo is to the kids. An effectively funny and heartbreaking moment occurs when Ivy discovers Hattie had her first period while at school, and it was Theo who knew exactly what to do. “The War of the Roses” was more stinging because it’s about two people who hate each other, with their story narrated by a lawyer. “The Roses” isn’t about hate but bittersweet pains. The deepening wounds of the couple contrast with the gorgeous backgrounds, shot with postcard clarity by Florian Hoffmeister. Roach and team filmed in Devon, England, so we get gorgeous but odd shots of stunning cliffs you’ll never find in California.

The wordplay in the movie has extra heft because of Cumberbatch and Colman, who are equally matched and deliver dry wit as only they could. This becomes especially entertaining in the third act when the Roses start to attack each other verbally at dinner parties or begin carrying out hilariously vicious attacks on each other once divorce papers are offered. Their sudden turn to rage can feel slightly lopsided considering neither character seems to have it in them early on, unlike Michael Douglas in the first movie, who brilliantly hints the selfish nature of his character from the beginning. Still, these are expert performances with comedy that gets enhanced by a supporting cast that includes Sunita Mani and Ncuti Gatwa as Ivy’s restaurant staff and eyewitnesses to her emerging debacles. Kate McKinnon nearly steals the show as Amy, a horny friend of the couple married to Barry (Andy Samberg). She shamelessly hits on Theo, which only causes eye rolls in Barry. They are a great couple that loves each other deeply within their strange dysfunctions.

“The Roses” doesn’t feel like some bitter rebuke of true love, even when Ivy throws crabs from her restaurant into Theo’s bath or when Theo sabotages her servings with drugs during an important event. It works as a lite, cheeky study in how a relationship can be unpredictable because life happens. When divorce papers are served the house becomes a battleground representing how what a relationship builds together in a sense has dual ownership no matter what. Some couples assure each other one will always root for the other, but the ego is a fragile thing. Roach and McNamara don’t sell out with the ending, building up to a climax where in a sense no one wins except cruel fate. Walk into this one ignoring the source material and enjoy it on its own terms. Colman and Cumberbatch evoke tenderness, but watch out for that flash of uncertainty in their eyes that can easily remind us how genuine love is hard work that can kill you.

“The Roses” releases Aug. 29 in theaters nationwide.