Los Roses

I don't know that I've ever seen a genuinely funny, adult movie with comedy that felt equally British and American.

I laughed. Out loud. In the theater.

It was a little raunchy at times but it didn't rely on raunchiness, which was refreshing. There were real heartbreaking, award-caliber moments between a couple that had lost their way, but it was still CLEARLY a comedy.

I was expecting more of a climax after all the buildup but I appreciate the ending.

I also wish Allison Janney had a bigger part, just because I really like her.

Kate McKinnon did everything right and she needs to be in more movies like this that can accommodate her style of comedy.

But the drivers were 2 brilliant actors, Colman and Cumberbatch, whose supporting cast members had just the right amount of screen time so that we had other interests, but the story remained on them. Both did a very good job of portraying how 2 deeply flawed people over 40 navigate a rocky marriage...actually "rocky" may be underselling it a bit based solely on the last 20ish minutes. You decide.

Imagine this movie as the next step for Olivia Colman's character after The Bear and it becomes even more entertaining.

The film struggles with pacing, as its first half feels sluggish and uninspired, offering little to capture attention. The second half fares no better, unfolding like an elongated trailer. Since nearly all the standout moments are already showcased in the trailer, the movie ultimately lacks real impact.

I was a bit undecided about the rating this film deserves. While it has quite a few impressive aspects, it also suffers from a number of flaws and inconsistencies. The film is actually the second adaptation of Warren Adler's novel The War of the Roses. The first one was released in 1989, directed by Danny DeVito, with Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner in the lead roles. Now we have a new version, directed by Jay Roach, written by Tony McNamara, and starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman.

As always, both Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman deliver undeniably outstanding performances. Watching them is a great pleasure. However, the two simply don't fit the story. You don't really see them as a couple. One reason is that both actors have distinctive acting styles that tend to overshadow their partners rather than harmonize with them. Secondly, they aren't physically compatible either. Cumberbatch looks more attractive here, and although I don't mean to say Colman looks like his older sister, that's sort of how it comes across. If they were playing siblings, it would actually be more convincing.

Cumberbatch's acting is always captivating - it's like the sound of a magnificent violin. But does he always have to play the smart, extraordinary, charismatic upper-class man? Perhaps such roles fit his personality better, but at this point, Cumberbatch should ask himself whether he's just "playing himself." The real power of an actor lies in portraying what he is not. To be honest, it's Colman's performance that saves the film, not Cumberbatch's. Colman is incredibly disciplined and persistent - she crafts every scene with meticulous care.

The other actors in the film are fine, but the roles written for them - or the performances expected from them - are really poor. The two American couples in the story, for example, are totally unconvincing. Their performances are so off-putting that they weaken the film's comedic tone. (Let me repeat: the actors themselves aren't bad - it's the way their roles are positioned that's problematic.)

Yes, the story is about a British couple living in America. But the cultural contrast is so exaggerated that it goes beyond satire - Americans are practically portrayed as idiots. Even though I personally find British culture more appealing than American culture, the Americans don't deserve to be dragged down this much.

Through the children's roles, the film also tries to inject elements of comedy, but honestly, I found all of these attempts very clumsy. Again, it's not the actors' fault - the director simply fails in these parts. The film is supposed to be a dark comedy, but the comedic side is extremely weak. I can count on one hand the moments that actually made me laugh.

Now, about the LGBTQ+ part. The film includes a gay waiter character as a nod to its liberal perspective. However, instead of supporting representation, it ends up reinforcing the cliché that gay men can only exist as "feminine waiters." The actor playing the waiter is quite good, but the role feels like a conspicuous accessory.

Meanwhile, Cumberbatch's character, Theo, is portrayed as an "environmentalist." Another liberal accessory of the film. But strangely enough, this environmentalist drives a BMW 5 - which, as a hybrid, can only go about 30 miles on electric power.

I wish the director had brought a genuinely fresh perspective to Warren Adler's novel and had chosen to make this film a dramedy rather than a dark comedy. Both Cumberbatch and Colman's performances would have fit much better into that tone.

Writing this review actually helped - I finally figured out what rating the film deserves.

Benedict Cumberbach and Olivia Colman excelled as usual in their roles, but I wish their pairing was a little more believable, but despite that, they carried the film. However, some of the other characters were a little unrealistic and over the top like Kim McKinnon and Andy Samberg. The actress did their best, but the situations created were a little unrealistic. The film just did not seem believable - for instance, why would you keep around friends who are always trying to undermine you, the couple seemed to have no real friends, and the children were like exercise robots!

The film tried too hard to be funny, and therefore took out some of the emotion and humanity that would have made it more relatable. There was no teenage angst from the children. The coworkers in the restaurant were given much more screen time in an attempt at humor, than Allison Janney, who was great as usual in her brief role as the lawyer.

The older "War of the Roses film" somehow had real passion and the heart that this film lacked. After the set up of the marketing and the trailer, the actual film left me disappointed.

Jay Roach's The Roses is a sharp, stylish, and often brutally honest look at the slow-motion implosion of a marriage. On paper, it has all the makings of a wild, darkly funny ride a modern update of The War of the Roses, with a razor-sharp Tony McNamara script and a powerhouse pairing in Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman. And while the film is undeniably entertaining, it's also a bit of a bait and switch that leaves you wishing it had trusted its chaos sooner.

The film charts the rise and implosion of Theo and Ivy Rose, a seemingly flawless couple whose marriage begins to fray as Theo's career skyrockets. What starts as subtle emotional distance soon becomes an emotional minefield, with small resentments snowballing into a quiet war of neglect, envy, and pride. The early sections of the film, watching them fall in love and build their lives together, are tender and grounded, anchored by the nuanced performances of Cumberbatch and Colman.

And here's where my frustration begins, the marketing for The Roses promises a balls-to-the-wall black comedy where a couple goes to war with each other in increasingly absurd ways. The trailer sells carnage, slapstick, and chaos. But in reality, that level of over-the-top madness doesn't hit until the last 20 minutes and by then, we've already seen most of those "wow" moments in the trailer. The slow build works narratively, adding emotional depth, but it also makes the movie feel like two different films competing for your attention, an incisive marital drama for most of its runtime, and a bonkers satire at the very end.

I can't help but feel a little cheated. If you walked into the theater expecting The Roses to be a wall-to-wall dark comedy, you're likely to leave a little underwhelmed. And that's a shame, because beneath the mismarketing is a smart, well-acted, and deeply cynical look at how success, ambition, and love can combust when left unattended.

The Roses is worth watching for Cumberbatch and Colman alone they elevate the material, turning what could have been a hollow satire into something genuinely compelling. But go in with the right expectations: this isn't the chaotic laugh riot the trailer sold you. It's a slow-burn dissection of a marriage in decay, with just a dash of chaos sprinkled on top.