When you’re paying attention to them, movie release schedules can really make or break the hype for an upcoming release. For instance, I would’ve been very excited for The Roses, Jay Roach’s remake of the 1989 film The War of the Roses, had it not been placed on the release schedule at Labor Day weekend. This is such a historically terrible time to release a movie, and it’s a dumping ground for the worst Hollywood has to offer. It’s outside of all the glitzy, flashy summer blockbusters, and separated from the prestigious Oscar contenders you’re going to be hearing about for the rest of the year. So, despite the promise from The Roses’ cast and creative team, I entered my theater with trepidation. And my reaction was a complicated one, however The Roses is still a lot better than its Labor Day weekend release date would suggest.

Architect Theo (Benedict Cumberbatch) and restaurateur Ivy (Olivia Colman) had a passionate romance when they first met, however years and marriage and parenthood have taken a considerable toll on their relationship. Theo just got fired from his job after a public and humiliating incident, and Ivy’s seaside seafood eatery has just become successful, causing friction in their relationship. We witness small cracks beginning to appear in their union before all comes crashing down.

As a remake of The War of the Roses, this film is unsatisfying. I was hoping this script would have more bite, and it doesn’t really start to get mean until we’re too late into the movie. The majority of the story is about a couple trying to make their relationship work and it’s about an hour into this movie before the war of these Roses begins. But as a relationship dramedy that’s doing its own thing, The Roses rocks. Maybe Tony McNamara’s script is more an adaptation of Warren Adler’s 1981 novel than it is Danny DeVito’s 1989 film. Alas, stars Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch could not be better-matched, and the two are clearly having fun with this. And we’ve got a murderer’s row of supporting players, all bringing a unique energy to the proceedings. In any case, the film is still far and away better than I was anticipating from the release schedule placement.

Olivia Colman is an Oscar winner, and Benedict Cumberbatch has been nominated twice. The quality of the performances here was never going to be in question, but I’m still impressed by how Colman and Cumberbatch manage to make this relationship feel so lived-in and genuine. I think a lot of couples are going to find truth in the challenges presented to their relationship. McNamara’s script is giving the two lead actors the space they need to make the most of their characters and isn’t condescending to them. And these two incredible actors are perhaps bringing more to this than they need to, but it’s a total pleasure to see them play against each other.

In our supporting cast, we have Kate McKinnon and Andy Samberg playing a couple that are friends of Theo and Ivy’s. I didn’t believe for a second that Samberg and McKinnon could be a real couple, but I still enjoy seeing both actors. We also have Sunita Mani and Ncuti Gatwa as employees of Ivy’s restaurant, and Zoë Chao and Jamie Demetriou as another couple who are friends of the Roses. And we have the great Allison Janney appearing as Ivy’s divorce lawyer in only one scene, however Janney can’t help but make an impression even in what’s basically a cameo. Every actor here adds to the fun and nobody seems out of place. And it never feels like any one performer is taking this thing too seriously or has loftier goals than anyone else.

Not much to report on regarding the filmmaking here. Cinematographer Florian Hoffmeister, recent Oscar-nominated cinematographer of Todd Field’s Tár, works well enough, and makes coastal California look gorgeous. I can’t say I recall much about Theodore Shapiro’s score, and Jay Roach, as a director, doesn’t have a lot of artistic flourishes that are consistent from one film to another. 

However, screenwriter Tony McNamara is on a roll lately, after having written The Favourite (which won Colman her Oscar) and Poor Things, and receiving Oscar nominations for both. He’s also the writer and creator of Hulu’s The Great, and writer on Disney’s much-better-than-anyone-expected Cruella. And I think it’s clear when McNamara’s name is attached, the audience is in good hands. While I’m annoyed The Roses takes so long to show its teeth, it’s clear McNamara is building the tension of this relationship gradually, so when the explosion happens in act three, it feels earned. And I can’t deny how effective that is.

Overall, The Roses is a lot better than I was expecting going in, and much better than anything released in recent Labor Day weekends. However, approaching this as a remake of The War of the Roses might set up unrealistic expectations for the viewer. The Roses definitely feels more like its own thing, and if you come in knowing that, I think you’ll have a better time than if you’re expecting a remake of a favorite film. Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch couldn’t possibly be better. And despite our very fun, very game supporting cast, this is definitely more effective as a two-hander, and you could easily imagine these two actors doing a version of this as a two-person Broadway show. And it’s impossible to deny how perfectly this film sticks the landing. I absolutely love the wild and explosive ending, and really the last 20 minutes or so of the film is no-notes perfect. And honestly, that’s far more than I was expecting here.