The Roses Is A Dark Comedy That Grows On The Dysfunctional Characters And Great Performances

“The Roses” is an update of “The War of the Roses,” which, like the prior film, is based on the book by Warren Adler. Theo Rose (Benedict Cumberbatch) is an architect who meets with chef Ivy (Olivia Colman) and decides to follow her from England to California in a desire to start anew and follow his passion.

Ten Years later, they are married and parents to twins, and Ivy limits her culinary work to cooking for her family while Theo is about to complete a major work on a historical site. At his moment of triumph, Theo suffers an unexpected failure, and Ivy decides to use her part-time restaurant that just opened full-time to support the family.

This change in dynamics leaves Theo to watch their kids, and he turns them into fitness-obsessed individuals who would happily run along the beach and exercise rather than do other activities, which does not sit well with her mother.

Ivy, meanwhile, has become a celebrity as a review has caused her restaurant to thrive, and she is now rubbing elbows with celebrity chefs and other important people who are happy to whisk her away on a private jet to various events.

This does not sit well with Theo, whose career failure is starting to grow, and he openly complains about Ivy and her new success, which draws a wedge between them, which grows over time to a breaking point.

As the tension mounts, the debate over who gets the house that Theo has created becomes a huge point of debate, and with the kids away in Florida at a special academy, the games mount as Theo and Ivy try to ruin each other and drive them away.

What follows is a chaotic and at times funny look at love, relationships, and how people deal with failure and change.

The film is slow-building, but the leads make it work, as do the supporting cast, who serve as unwilling witnesses to the devolved civility that occurs between Theo and Ivy.

While the film may not appeal to everyone, if you like a dysfunctional dark comedy with good performances, then this is one you will not want to miss.

3.5 stars out of 5