I remember going to see The War of the Roses in 1989, and thinking it was pretty good, but I have never felt the need for a re-watch. Now we have an inevitable remake, with Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner replaced by Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman. Cumberbatch plays architect Theo Rose and Colman is Ivy, his restaurateur wife. When his career falters and hers starts to flourish, hidden resentments come to the surface.
There is a terrific opening scene of the couple insulting each other in a therapist’s office. We then go back to when they first met and the better times after that. Whilst that was needed to establish the characters, I felt that went on too long, and I was waiting for the arguments to start!
When their marriage began to falter, there were some funny exchanges between the two, and both Cumberbatch and Colman really shine in those moments. As mentioned, I have not seen the original in over 35 years so cannot remember that much of it, but I am sure that the arguments were more spiteful and the general air more vindictive. Here, there are glimmers of the actors’ natural warmth that still shine through.
There are enough funny moments to make this a likely success but I am not sure it will live long in the memory.
Rating: 6.5 out of 10