The Roses hits theaters this August 27, reintroducing a cult classic to the modern audience and presenting a romcom story that brilliantly leans more on the comedy than the romance.
The Roses tells the story of the couple, British architect Theo Rose (Benedict Cumberbatch) and chef Ivy Rose (Olivia Colman), who decide to impulsively move their lives to California to escape the stress and monotony of life in England. We follow their celebrations and their struggles in keeping their marriage intact as they navigate towards a collision course of competing egos and differing life priorities.
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The film successfully lulls the audience into thinking that the story is romantic in the opening acts and, like a blooming rose flower, opens up to reveal that it is, in its core, a dark comedy. There are a significant number of dark comedies that rely on either unconventionally dark themes or slapstick comedy to drive the plot forward. The Roses, on the other hand, perfectly balanced dark humor with over-the-top comedy, with great thanks to the brilliant performance of leads Cumberbatch and Colman. In fact, Benedict Cumberbatch, known for his roles in Doctor Strange and BBC Sherlock, is not exactly the go-to choice for a romantic comedy. However, it is precisely due to this fact that his humor resonates with the audience in his role as a savant and egotistic architect.
Saying that this is a remake of the 1989 film The War of the Roses by Danny DeVito is a misnomer. If anything, this is a loose reinterpretation of the original material, crafted to suit the modern audience with a significantly more compelling family dilemma that is equally relatable as it is absurdist. This time around, social media and AI play a role in building humor, with their dream home even taking an almost supporting actor status in its significance in the plot.
Cumberbatch and Colman were the perfect choice to play the lead roles, with the comedy anchored heavily on British humor, executed brilliantly in contrast to the American setting. It is also worth mentioning that the cast is stacked with comedy mainstays like Andy Samberg and Kate Mckinnon, playing smaller roles but adding the much-needed American humor.
If you like dark absurdist comedy presented by witty British banter, packaged neatly in an American setting, then The Roses is your best bet. The film takes inspiration from its previous iteration back in 1989, and brings it to the modern audience, thorns included.
Score: 4 out of 5 crowns
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