The Roses Movie - Review

  There’s something both nostalgic and genuinely thrilling about seeing the classic studio comedy make a comeback after a few years where it...

 

There’s something both nostalgic and genuinely thrilling about seeing the classic studio comedy make a comeback after a few years where it felt like that whole genre might be in danger of fading away, and yet, here we are, with the year delivering hits like One of Them Days and, just this month alone, the successful releases of The Naked Gun and Freakier Friday—films that seem to prove that viewers are still hungry for more of that particular blend of sharp humor, broad visual gags, and a cast willing to throw themselves into the absurdity of it all; and as August draws to a close, the arrival of The Roses feels like a capstone, a dark comedy that seems to have been plucked straight from the 2000s (and I mean that as the highest compliment), with director Jay Roach not only remaking the 1989 classic The War of the Roses, itself adapted from Warren Adler’s 1981 novel, but also managing to update the story of a marriage falling apart in a way that feels both fresh and comfortingly familiar.

The movie kicks off in a way that’s instantly recognizable—Olivia Coleman’s Ivy and Benedict Cumberbatch’s Theo Rose are introduced in couple’s therapy, failing spectacularly to say a single nice thing about each other, and while it’s clear their marriage is on the rocks, the film quickly rewinds to their first, hilariously crass encounter, then flashes forward a decade to their domestic bliss, before letting all that simmering tension boil over as Ivy throws herself into launching a seafood restaurant while Theo, the successful architect and erstwhile breadwinner, finds his career in shambles after a devastating storm flips their fortunes almost overnight; what follows is a gradual, painfully believable unraveling, as Ivy’s star rises and Theo is left at home, stewing in resentment, even as you catch glimpses of the love that brought them together—only to watch as their banter, once electric and charming, turns into a weaponized exchange of casual, bruising insults.

What makes The Roses work so well, even as it teeters on the edge of farce and tragedy, is the chemistry between Coleman and Cumberbatch, who play off one another with an easy warmth and a biting edge, helped along by Tony McNamera’s razor-sharp dialogue and a supporting cast that’s stacked with comedic talent; from the moment Ivy and Theo meet, it’s clear they’re a perfect, if volatile, match, and that connection only deepens the heartbreak as their marriage unravels, making every barb and every fleeting moment of tenderness feel earned.

Roach faces a tricky balancing act here—yes, The Roses is a comedy, but it’s one that isn’t afraid to get remarkably dark, with the titular couple joking (sometimes a little too convincingly) about killing themselves and each other, their mutual dislike corroding whatever’s left of their affection, and while this could easily collapse under its own weight, the film somehow makes it work, largely thanks to the leads, who are clearly having a blast sinking their teeth into such broad material; in the supporting roles, Andy Samberg and Kate McKinnon deliver reliable laughs, Shudy Gotwa and Sunita Mani add a dash of fun, but it’s Allison Janney who steals the show with a single, unforgettable scene.

Not every joke lands, and I’m sure the film’s willingness to linger on the darker side of a dissolving marriage won’t be for everyone, but with such incredible performers at the helm, it’s almost impossible not to get swept up in the rollercoaster of wanting Ivy and Theo to break up just as much as you desperately hope they’ll find their way back to each other—and that, ultimately, is the most impressive trick The Roses manages to pull: it makes you root for and against its central couple in equal measure, reminding us why the classic studio comedy, at its best, is something worth celebrating all over again.