The Roses (2025) – Film Review
Director: Jay Roach
Cast: Olivia Coleman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Kate McKinnon
Certificate: 15
By David Reid
The Roses opens with our two leads, Ivy (Olivia Colman) and Theo (Benedict Cumberbatch), in a relationship therapy session. Perhaps not the most likely beginning to a comedy, you may well think. However, it is played for laughs, ahead of the opening credits, which are accompanied by Rufus Wainwright and Susanna Hoffs – incidentally the director’s wife – singing The Turtles’ 1960s classic, ‘Happy Together’. This sets the scene for a film with an emphasis on humour, albeit within the context of a marriage that is clearly on the rocks.
We are transported back to happier times, when chef Ivy and her husband, architect Theo, were leading busy and fulfilled work and family lives, with their children, Hattie and Roy, brightly performed by Delaney Quinn/Hala Finley and Ollie Robinson/Wells Rappaport, respectively. They are an English family living on the Northern California coast. This is shaken up by major parental work changes, which reverse the traditional parental gender roles. At first, all appears well, as Ivy achieves her ambition to become a restaurateur and Theo throws himself into being more of a hands-on father with gusto. However, over time, cracks appear.
This picture is a reworking of the 1989 film The War of the Roses, which starred Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas, both of whom were at the zenith of their collective box office powers. Earlier that decade the pair had shown on-screen chemistry in abundance in Romancing the Stone and The Jewel of the Nile. The original was presented as a morality tale, as told by director and co-star Danny DeVito. It is perhaps most memorable for the final battle of the warring couple as they sparred whilst hanging from their hallway chandelier.
“Sudden role changes”
This modern version is directed and co-written by Jay Roach, who is experienced in film comedy, having overseen such works as Meet the Parents, Meet the Fockers and three Austin Powers movies. The adult supporting cast includes Saturday Night Live duo Andy Samberg (Barry) and Kate McKinnon (Amy), as well as British actors Ncuti Gatwa (Jeffrey) and Jamie Demetriou (Rory), who play friends and work colleagues of the main couple. Writer Tony McNamara, known for his sharp scripts for The Favourite and Poor Things, worked with the late Warren Adler’s source material from the original novel. An imaginative soundtrack is utilised, which almost lets you feel a cool summer breeze off the Pacific Ocean during the film’s lighter moments.
The film’s poster tagline is: ‘all’s fair when love is war’; and it is billed as this summer’s screwball comedy. The question is: does it succeed? With the help of two of this country’s finest comic-dramatic actors of their generation, coupled with an established director and writer of fine comic pedigree, the answer is that it does – with some reservations – which may prevent it from receiving universal acclaim.
Both leads are well matched. Skilfully, they are able to walk that tightrope between enabling us to believe that they were star-crossed young lovers, early in their relationship, before undergoing the transition into a couple who find it hard to stand the sight of each other. At times we are reminded of the bitter arguments of Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor in the film version of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? At other points we see them as individually vulnerable, but alternately ambivalent about their love for – and hatred of – each other. This is a film that plays with the audience’s expectations. It also raises questions as to how modern couples address the potential for sudden role changes in their lives, set against 21st-century societal norms. Their friends and work colleagues observe this with a mixture of disbelief and horror as they offer the characters their counsel and support, reminiscent of leading examples of the genre such as When Harry Met Sally and the Bridget Jones series.
“Jarred unexpectedly”
The Rose children perform well, although they seem to be consistently presented on-screen as a pair rather than as developed individual characters. As is commonplace in Hollywood comedies these days, many of the best lines featured prominently in the movie trailer, detracting from the main event. However, although it is advisable to avoid the advance trailer if you intend to see this film, the breadth and richness of the comedy are spread generously throughout – and there are laughs aplenty to be had. Some of the foremost US/UK cultural differences are understandably mined for humour, including accents and attitudes to – and familiarity with – gun use. However, for this viewer, a number of the punchlines didn’t land with the expected degree of panache. This was most noticeable in a keynote dinner-party scene where some of the guests attempted to emulate the lines of the leading couple. Some of the delivery jarred unexpectedly, to the detriment of an important set piece.
There is also imaginative use of modern technology to enhance the comedy, particularly as the couple’s relationship heads for the cliffs, reflecting the positioning of their dream home. Finally, special mention is needed for Alison Janney’s portrayal of Eleanor, a ball-busting divorce lawyer. It is, arguably, the standout scene of the film – as her comparable performances often have been in the past. In short, The Roses is a broadly enjoyable hit, although not a completely comfortable comedy in all respects.
David’s passion for cinema began with his first trip to the movies during The Troubles in Northern Ireland, where a screening of Jaws was dramatically interrupted by a bomb scare. Growing up in such an environment made entertainment scarce, deepening his appreciation for film and the arts. Over 25 years ago, he won a national film review competition, earning free cinema for life. This experience has allowed him to explore a vast range of genres and storytelling techniques. His reviews aim to provide insightful commentary without spoiling key surprises, helping audiences decide if a film is for them. He believes great filmmaking is rooted in strong storytelling, engaging viewers through narrative depth and presentation.
