Welcome back to real reviews. Today, we're looking at The Roses, Jay Roach's satirical black comedy that reimagines Warren Adler's classic novel The War of the Roses. Now, many will remember the nineteen eighty nine film starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner, but this version gives a story a modern twist, starring Bennett Cumberbatch and Olivia Coleman, is less a straight remake and more of a reinterpretation about ambition ego in the race thin Line between Love and hate. Now, the setup
is deceptively simple. Theo Rose played by cumberbatchs is a celebrated architect whose career takes a sudden nosedive. His wife, Ivy played by Coleman, launches a restaurant on a whim that unexpectedly takes off. At first, their dynamic feels balance.
One partner falters while the other thrives. But as Theo throws himself into building a dream house with Ivy's money and Ivy doubles down on expanding her business to fund his obsession, cracks begin to spread through their picture perfect marriage. Now what follows is a twisted dance of love curdling into resentment. Unlike the darker tone of Danny DeVito's nineteen eighty nine adaptation, Roach leans into satire and humor to explore the absurdity of marital warfare. Now that doesn't mean
that the venom is gone, it's just tempted by iron. Now, where the original felt like a cautionary tale of destruction, this one occasionally feels like a Rye commentary on modern ambition, gender roles, and how success and failure reshape intimacy. Now, cumber Batch and Coleman are excellent together. Their chemistry evolves believably from devotion to disdain, giving the story weight beyond
its satire. Their performances crackle with passionate precisions, showing how easily admiration can become competitive and how quickly shared dreams can turn into weapons. The supporting cast Andy Samberg, Kate McKinnon, Alison Janny add bite and comic relief. But this is very much the Benedict and Olivia's show the house just like an Atler's novel, and the original film is the
emotional epicenter. It's not just the symbol of security. It becomes a bad embodying both Field's pride and Ivy's growing resentment watching their dream house morph into a cage makes the comedy sting all the more. Jay Roach doesn't quite match the brutal finality of the Veto's film, but he brings his own sensibility sly, witty, and occasionally hopeful. The result is a film that nods to its predecessor but stands on its own, balancing satire with a surprisingly humane edge.
I gave the Roses a B. That's it for this episode of real Reviews. For the full review and more commentary on the evolution of this story from page to screen, visit us at the film Gordon dot com. Until next time, Keep it real, but always keep it real. N