Jay Roach is a filmmaker who generally makes films I would avoid like the plague. Straight-up comedy films like Austin Powers or Meet the Parents simply do not interest me, and they represent the exact type of film I cannot stand. Those typical family movie night products feel like they were made in a factory to serve that exact purpose. The kinds of comedies that have posters with pure white backgrounds with red text on them, of which there are way more than you might think throughout the noughties. When I say I do not like comedy films like this, it is not because they are comedies, but more so that they are unintelligent comedies. There is frankly no way to say this without me sounding high and mighty, or simply like an arse. But when a film is purely made as a vessel to laugh, does not contain much in the way of substance, and still fails to make me laugh, that bothers me. Now there is a reason for this brief rant because I am happy to say that Jay Roach’s recent endeavour, The Roses, does not have the same pitfalls. It still weirdly has a white background/red text, almost like it is trying to evoke something inside those who were consumed by that type of film in the aforementioned family movie night traditions. Though against all my preconceptions, The Roses is great fun and has a lot of intelligence and maturity in the moments that matter.

The Roses is a loose remake of Danny DeVito’s The War of the Roses (1989), which is based on the 1981 book of the same name. centres on the lives of Theo (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Ivy (Olivia Coleman), who meet on a whim, completely fed up with their current lives. Ivy dreams of being a chef, and Theo needs a change of scenery in his architect job, so they decide to fast-track their relationship and move to America together. 10 years later, they are married with two children, and despite a few parenting disputes, they are happy. Ivy is still cooking and baking all the time, as a replacement for her career sacrifice to raise the children. Theo decides to buy a dilapidated old restaurant for Ivy, where she can follow her dreams, now that the kids are a bit older. When Theo’s career prospects go out the window due to a silly mistake, Ivy starts working full-time, and the tables turn completely. Theo is stuck at home with the kids, and Ivy is filled with the glitz and glamour of slowly becoming a successful chef. This flip spawns lots of jealousy for their other half, and latent hatred and resentment in their relationship start to build, creating a rift that seems inescapable.

Part of the reason I think this film works is its overall approach to its subject matter, which feels relatively realistic for the large majority of the film’s runtime. All the explosive moments shown in the trailers and generally towards the end and though they are heavily embellished and mental in comparison to the rest of the film, it earns that with its build-up. That final sequence is very much a final flourish, and if so much of it was not shown in the trailers, it would be a really fun ending sequence. Still, what is there beforehand can be funny, but also quite mature and more tender than you might first think when looking at this film from an outside perspective. There are so many lovely moments that show Ivy and Theo are genuinely in love and meant to be together. That built-up hatred and resentment just shows their humanity, and although they are happy for each other in their successes, it is only human for them to be envious of what they feel like they are missing out on. Theo sees Ivy becoming more successful and rubbing shoulders with celebrities, and as much as he loves her and is happy for her, he can’t help but feel left behind, all due to his own mistakes. Ivy is similarly envious as she cannot spend time with her kids due to her demanding schedule. Theo’s genuine connection with them makes her pleased, as that was what he missed when the shoe was on the other foot, but she feels she is losing them and the opportunities to spoil them like she used to. Their situation is the thing that has shaped this rift between them, rather than them directly learning to hate each other, and that is both realistic and incredibly heartbreaking.

Of course, this film is marketed as a comedy, so amongst its maturity, it has to have quite the opposite to fulfill that label. A lot of the humour is cheap one-liners that are quite recycled and unfunny, but there are also some fun running gags and well-structured bits. Kate McKinnon’s character Amy, for example, may get on people’s nerves, but I quite liked the dynamic of her being all over Theo, and her husband Barry, played by Andy Samberg, being oblivious to it all. It also works for what the film is trying to portray, with couples being just comfortable with each other and used to each other’s quirks, knowing realistically that no matter what, they will end up together. The gag of Ivy being insane enough to eat raspberries, even though she is allergic to them, with an EpiPen at the ready, is so in tune with her character’s overwhelming love of food, and it is used to good effect in the plot too. These more clever jokes that make sense for the characters are far more funny and interesting than some of its cheaper gags, and although it is unrealistic to have only those cleverly structured jokes, more would certainly be more welcome. Above all, even if some of the lines can be a bit groan-worthy, seeing Olivia Coleman and Benedict Cumberbatch going nuts at each other almost overrules some of those problems. Coleman, in particular, is just so infectiously funny, and she shows why she is one of the best actors working today. They both shine in that final sequence, amongst all of its chaos, and if it were not for the rushed ending, it would have really ended on a high note through their merit alone.

The Roses is a fun watch, and although it is nothing groundbreaking, it was never going to be. Though it can be compared to 2000s rom-coms, of which it is obviously an ode to, it certainly has a lot more going on subtextually to justify its existence beyond just trying to make you laugh. Olivia Coleman and Benedict Cumberbatch work so well together here, and their chemistry and performances also really help the film’s scripting shortcomings. This is exactly the type of comedy film that I can enjoy because it does not feel just churned out for no reason. There is a sentiment to it that many will connect with, and for that reason alone, it is worth a watch to see if it strikes a chord of your own.