La Guerre des Rose

It's a dark comedy about marriage set from 2011 to 2025, briefly in London, England, but mainly in Mendocino, California. Theo Rose (Benedict Cumberbatch) is a frustrated, idealistic architect who wants his designs to reflect their environment. He meets Ivy (Olivia Colman), who dabbles at gourmet cooking and hankers to move to America. They impulsively marry and move to California, where in ten years Theo starts a flourishing career while Ivy raises their twin children, Hattie (Hala Finney/Delaney Quinn) and Roy (Wells Rappaport/Ollie Robinson). We also meet some friends, such as Barry (Andy Samberg) and Amy (Kate McKinnon). As things are going well, Ivy starts a small seafood restaurant with Theo's support.

Suddenly, in 2021, a major disaster turns their lives upside down--Theo loses his position and takes over raising the kids, while Ivy's restaurant suddenly becomes a major success. Their relationship deteriorates amid acerbic dialogue and conflict avoidance, culminating in an explosive climax.

I like both Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman as actors, and believe they deliver excellent performances in "The Roses," as the script features clever, edgy repartee between their characters, and their chemistry is outstanding. However, the secondary characters don't work as well. The Barry and Amy characters are memorable, but most others are not. The Allison Janney character has her best lines in the trailer.

I think it's really amazing to have a romantic comedy featuring two of the UK's national treasures Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Coleman in the theatres now, especially with all the nastiness going on the world.

This reimagining of the 1989 dark comedy featuring Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas, shows what happens when a couple favour work-like ambitions rather than working on communicating with one another. It is genuinely hilarious, sweet and tragic all at the same time.

I won't give away the ending, but while it makes some changes to how the 1989 version ended, it also doesn't take away its cautionary tale aspect. It is also hugely critical of the material wealth that people accumulate when they become successful with their jobs.

The two leads have great chemistry and work excellently together. The film also has an early 2000s vibe, which reminded me of Roach's earlier films such as Meet The Parents or Analyse This. Definitely worth a rewatch!

This movie was really funny. I loved seeing Olivia Colman become a fierce girlboss and reversing the gender norms with Benedict Cumberbatch having to be the stay at home dad. The kid actors (Ollie Robinson and Delaney Quin) did an incredible job playing American kids who grew up in the US but had the caustic wit of a Brit.

Kate McKinnon and Alison Janey are hilarious in their roles. I was just sad Alison Janey wasn't in the film more.

Overall it was fun, hilarious and a really good movie. Highly recommend you go see it.

Olivia Colman & Benedict Cumberbatch were sublime as usual. No notes.

Andy Samberg also did the best he could and somehow managed to not make his character seem annoying given the writing.

The movie needed a lot more Allison Janney who was great for the few minutes she was in and a lot less Kate McKinnon whose character was just absurd and over the top for no reason. Did not find her remotely funny.

None of the other characters were fully formed and you couldn't care less about them. Wasted some really talented actors like Ncuti Gatwa in throw away roles.

Less a scabrous 'my parents in the eighties' affair like the original "War of The Roses" than a continuous mild volley of P. G. Wodehouse-level insults and backhands, Coleman and Cumberbatch are a delight as marrieds (though looking more like elder sister and flummoxed younger brother) whose equanimity topples when Benedict's architectural career goes the way of Gotham Hospital in "The Dark Knight." Andy Samberg, Alison Janney and Kate McKinnon sit back and provide relaxed support when necessary but mostly let these old pros stretch out and do their stuff. What a great throwback pairing and bouquet of talent! Hope they work together again!