The Roses

A wealthy husband and wife (Olivia Colman, Benedict Cumberbatch) go through a big change in life as the wife becomes the main earner and the husband loses his job. Their passive aggressive jibes at each other and sharp wit bring them to the brink of divorce.

There are two films fighting for attention here. The first is the one the studio wanted to make, as seen in the trailer. This is a breezy husband-and-wife farce about two fast talking Brits living in America, whose hatred for each other amps up to a point where they take hilariously drastic measures to fuck with each other. Their wacky friends (Kate McKinnon, Andy Samberg) are there to add gags and add to the awkwardness. It’s a remake of The War of the Roses with Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner.

The second film is 70% of what actually made it to the screen. A nuanced take on how arguments and resentments bubble up, sometimes from nowhere. A look at classic (albeit probably fading) gender roles and dynamics in a relationship. A script that ponders the true nature of happiness and accomplishment.

I suspect what happened is that they over-cast the two lead roles and got far more weighty performances than they bargained for. I’m sure you’ve seen “they bicker but they love each other” before, but these two really do give it a level of honesty that is seldom seen on screen these days. It’s not always easy to watch, and while the film frequently flinches away from these moments they aren’t completely left out.

It’s also possible that screenwriter Tony McNamara (Poor Things, The Great, The Favourite) is weirdly paired up with Jay Roach (Austin Powers, Meet the Parents) and there’s a bit of a mismatch in tone and intent.

Definitely a film worth checking out. In spite of a large chunk of it being somewhat under-baked, this is a display of two incredible actors at the height of their powers.