- Date of Release: 29 August 2025
- Genre: Comedy, Dark
- Language: English
- Watch On: Theatres Only
The Roses
Introduction
It is quite ironic that most films of the romance genre have a happy ending involving two individuals who end up with each other. But the new English film The Roses begins from exactly this point. It is quite fitting that the title is called The Roses – a direct metaphor for relationships and marriage. Just like a rose freshly trimmed from a garden, its fragrance is evident even when quietly placed in a vaz in a room – just like a new and budding relationship. But with time you see the petals wilting and drying out, almost like every relationship that begins to show cracks over a period of time. And more often than not, you find dried roses quietly kept between the pages of a book, almost as a symbol of nostalgia – just like a fragmented relationship finding the remains of the war amidst the ruins.
That is the exact feeling you get when you are first introduced to Theo (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Ivy (Olivia Coleman) in a brilliantly hilarious cold open. You see them ‘probably’ on the final leg of their tumultuous marriage – a sign that is further elevated when they let out ‘insults’ for positives during a reconciliation workshop. It does give the viewers a fair indication that here are two people who are overtly familiar with the companies of each other, yet just about trying and holding onto their marriage with traces of humour and toxicity! Further, the tone of the drama is established immediately too – this isn’t a tragedy but a dead-pan comedy that will tickle your funny bone.
Story & Screenplay
An official remake of the 1989 English film ‘The War Of The Roses’, one of the strongest aspect of the drama remains its characterization. A quick montage into the origin story of a budding relationship tells us that Theo is a hot-shot architect in London who never drowns in his own confidence. Ivy is an exact mirror image of Theo – an underconfident chef quietly making her ends meet in a local kitchen. It is fittingly ironic on how the start of their relationship is in a cold storage room that is witness to their steamy romance that finds its voice. Here is a couple that you know would survive the wrath of life provided the situation won’t change – Theo must continue to remain ambitious and successful while Ivy must continue to be underconfident and naive. But when that doesn’t happen, you just know that the fate of the couple is jinxed.
There is a mild cultural reference used as a medium for the shift in the momentum of the budding relationship when the couple relocates to the US – ofcourse with Theo tasked with designing a museum. In a hilarious scene, you see Theo and Ivy being overwhelmed with a gun culture during a ‘couple game day’ involving the characters having to fire bullets at a moving statue. It has a perfect recall scene towards the end, even as you witness Theo and Ivy tactfully thriving in a new surrounding, having a seemingly perfect life with their kids who would eventually play important (anti) cogs in their marriage going forward. At the moment, Theo has a promising job, he volunteers to open a little shack for Ivy in order to stimulate her culinary skills – what could possibly go wrong?
Interestingly, the writers use a central event to flip the narrative on its head – almost like a tempest that would swap the fortunes of Theo and Ivy, in order to test their relationship. Suddenly, Ivy in a change of fortunes is the new talk of the town in the culinary circuit – a stark change from keeping her shack open only thrice a week in the evenings. And in a sharp contrast, Theo finds himself jobless, ‘hilariously suicidal’ according to folks around him, and tasked with bringing up his two kids. It is a measured shift in their individual lives while flipping the dynamics of the relationship that is presented with dollops of deadpan humour through and through.
In many ways, the drama doubles up as a deconstructed commentary on love and marriage – two factors that don’t always go hand in hand. This is particular true when the sidden rise of an individual coincides with the fall of an individual. You notice Theo and Ivy gradually slipping on the slope of intimacy too – particularly in the sudden wake of fame that prompts Ivy to hop on a flight while Theo is left to take care of the kids. The reverse is true also – Theo has a different way of bringing up his kids, often focusing on health and fitness, as opposed to Ivy’s midnight ‘snack’ fun that includes icecream sandwiches. It is almost like the philosophy of Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013) wherein you see Naina (Deepika Padukone) telling Bunny (Ranbir Kapoor) – ‘Zindagi Bhi Kitni Bhi Daud Lagao, Kuch Na Kuch Toh Chhootega Hi’ (no matter how much you strife in life, you will always miss out on something). And this remains true for Theo and Ivy – the former woefully missing out on his passion for building structures, and the latter missing out on spending time with her kids.
The fuel of jealousy is sown in the minds of both individuals, something that acts as a foundation of psychological warfare. It is a classic case of divide and rule by gossip-mongering folks around the couple – many of whom act as catalysts to this theory. And with both Ivy and Theo being poisoned mentally – the next transition is a game of isolation and one-upmanship. There are moments of togetherness that are fleeting – like Ivy funding Theo to build his dream home for them. But majorly, the sentiment is that of resentment and isolation – wherein both characters begin to subtly compete with each other – be it Theo bringing in a Spanish table from the 15th century, or Ivy choosing to purchase a 1907 year stove by a famous culinarian. This is further fueled by the loss of connection with each other – even as their kids move out at a tender age of 13, signalling the first step of a ‘broken’ marriage.
There are seeds of a psychological warfare that erupts in a hilarious scene that unfolds at a dinner table. The banters giving way to jibes only leads to more laughs and more chaos, even as there is a strong game of vengeance over love. And that is quite the trademark here wherein the writing doesn’t offer any respite from the humour that literally drives the narrative ahead. A fleeting moment of criticism arises when the drama briefly touches upon the spiritual side of things through an event that sticks out like a sore thumb. But thankfully, the drama does get back on track immediately by amping up the chaos through a hilariously tense finale (with a subtle ego-tussle on the concept of alimony) that absolutely hits home with the humour. The open ending too has evident traces of humour that perfectly sums up the turmoil endured by the couple with a question on whether or whether not there will indeed be a happy ending! Ahhh, absolutely genius writing, I tell you!
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are snappy and crisp while perfectly projecting bouts of dead-pan humour throughout the narrative. In fact, there is a rhythm to the proceedings which is perfectly encapsulated by the lines that will tickle your funny bone, more often than not. The BGM sports a similar synergy by gently amplifying the banter between the protagonists that remains a key driving force in the narrative. The cinematography epitomizes the vibrancy of the drama while playing with the grey shades pretty well at various places. For instance, a key turning point in the relationship between the characters is signified by a tempest with shades of grey. Likewise, the zany finale has grey undertones that are perfectly in sync with tone of the scene that marks a bittersweet ending. The confines of the four walls exude of a different kind of energy with respect to the framing, as opposed to external shots that continue to remain bright. It is a stark reminder on how life goes on, no matter what!
The editing is crisp and sharp, maintaining a strangle-hold on the narrative with its tempo and humour, without providing any respite (in a good way) to the viewer. As a result, the narrative remains taut while eliminating the extra flab at the editing table. Director Jay Roach scores and scores heavily with this drama, while simply focusing on his characters and the situations that are cause them to react in a certain way. There is a zany synergy masked by some refreshingly dead-pan humour that drives the narrative, wherein the director often stays committed to his source material. As a result, the proceedings are insanely hilarious, wherein the direction remains impeccable through and through!
Performances
The performances are wonderful to witness by the members of the cast. Sunita Mani and Ncuti Gatwa have their moments to shine, as do Zoe Chao and Jamie Demetriou. Allison Janney as Eleanor is hilarious in that one little scene featuring her. Kate Mckinnon as Amy and Andy Samberg as Barry contribute to the laughs while dealing with life and marriage issues of their own. Both characters in isolated accounts, vouch for the other partner even while giving a general impression of a broken marriage or alternately, even an extramarital affair respectively. And both manage to leave a mark here.
Benedict Cumberbatch as Theo and Olivia Colman as Ivy collectively deliver probably the two best performances of the year. There is a zany synergy that both these iconic actors cater too, while maintaining the wavelength perfectly in sync with each other. The one-liners or the banter that they share is hilarious to the core, even while maintaining an emotional thread with respect to their individual characters. As a result, it becomes increasingly difficult to pick a side – as both characters exude of toxicity and insecurity in equal measures. And yet as the drama progresses, you develop a sweet spot for both these characters – almost as if you know them personally, or them being proof of concepts of real life characters that you would know around you. The brilliance lies in the balance that both characters provide in quieter moments than are sandwiched between hysterical one-liners, wherein the body language and posture of both actors is never compromised. If this isn’t a collective acting masterclass, I don’t know what is!
Conclusion
The Roses is a sharp and zany dark comedy about a dysfunctional marriage backed by excellent performances that makes for a brilliant watch. Available in a theatre near you and Highly Recommended!