The Roses

I think you can tell when actors are enjoying making a film, and both Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch look like they enjoyed letting the badger loose here. He’s an architect and she a budding chef when they meet in her kitchen. A tiny bit of raw trout later - might that be a euphemism - and they are wed and we have skipped on to their lives in California. They have two children and he has just designed a daring new maritime museum. He doesn’t get to sit on his laurels for long though as an opening night storm causes this couple to have to consider some role reversing. Now, not only is “Ivy” the bread maker, but she’s the bread winner too. When a food critic stops by her seaside bistro and acclaims it wildly, “Theo” is consigned to a role of unfulfilled husbandry and child-minding whilst his wife puts in the hours and delivers the cash. Enough cash, it turns out, for him to design and built his dream home - complete with an ancient Spanish table, some Irish roof moss and a computer called, wait for it, “Hal”! After a while, they soon realise that all is not well with the “Rose” family, and when the children win an early scholarship she realises she has missed much of their childhood and he realises he has missed much of his life! Can they settle things or are events in their seaside home about to recreate those from 15th century England? Luckily for us, it is the latter and so some scheming, bad-mouthing and the militarisation of crabs, oranges and hard skin ensues as this couple take squabbling to a new, and entertaining, level. There are a few others involved now and again. Apparently “Jeffrey” (Ncuti Gatwa) is quite proficient at blowing truck drivers but his pal “Barry” (Andy Samberg) is no match for “Eleanor” (Allison Janney) on the legal front and their marriage guidance counsellor is far more likely to be in need of therapy herself that to be able to dispense any. The writing takes the rise out of what little lovey-dovey sentiment there is whilst giving both leading characters plenty of weapons with which to pithily assault each other and make us smile at the same time. I’m not sure it’s a film that will last, or that even I’d bother to watch again - but it’s an enjoyable ninety-odd minutes of cinematic custard-pie throwing and I did quite enjoy it.