The decision to retitle the new adaptation of Warren Adler’s The War of the Roses as simply The Roses feels deliberate. Where Adler’s novel and its 1989 film version, directed by Danny DeVito and starring Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas, revelled in the poisonous unravelling of a marriage, this new iteration, led by Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch, takes a gentler approach. It’s still combative, but underpinned by affection. The shift makes the story warmer and more human, but it also robs it of the savage edge and venom that once defined it.

Love, Resentment, and Seafood

Colman plays Ivy, a chef who first meets Theo (Cumberbatch), an architect, when he wanders into her kitchen. Their connection is instant, and soon they’re married with twins, living on the California coast. Ivy runs a seafood restaurant that struggles to find customers, while Theo works on designing a new museum. When a storm disrupts their lives, frustrations bubble up, and the couple begins the long dance of quarrels, reconciliations, and festering resentment. Darkness only creeps in near the end, and even then, it’s softened by the fact that the couple clearly still loves one another.

A Weird Supporting Cast

The film assembles an enviable roster of comedic talent, but doesn’t quite know how to use them. Andy Samberg and Kate McKinnon appear as American friends, Zoë Chao and Jamie Demetriou play another couple tied to Theo’s work, and Allison Janney briefly appears as Ivy’s divorce lawyer. Of the group, only Janney’s performance is memorable, and absolutely on point. I was extremely annoyed by McKinnon doing her trademark weird horny thing and didn’t really see the point of her character.

Not Even a Shadow of the Original

The Roses is a pro-marriage comedy about the strains of long-term relationships. But it has almost nothing in common with the book or the original. The fact that I’d read the book a few days before watching this movie didn’t help. There’s none of the vicious cruelty and biting madness that formed the foundation of The War of the Roses.

Look, it’s not a bad movie, as long as you don’t go in expecting any blueprint of The War. For me, the absolute highlights were Ivy and Theo’s couples therapy session and Allison Janney’s one scene. And eventually, when the fighting becomes physical and truly dangerous.

I think if I’d gone in with fewer expectations and no frame of reference, I might have enjoyed The Roses more. The friends make no sense. Ivy’s staff is excellent. There are some fantastic lines, but also a lot of awkward dialogue that falls flat. I’d give this a 6/10. I really hoped for and wanted more.