Sometimes a happy relationship devolves into the stuff of nightmares. Such is the predicament of Ivy (Olivia Coleman) and Theo Rose (Benedict Cumberbatch), the central couple in The Roses , a new film directed by Jay Roach, adapting the 1989 black comedy The War of the Roses . Ivy, a chef, and Theo, an architect, meet in London, experience an immediate and intense attraction, and move together across the pond to Northern California, where they start a family. They raise two children and have what looks to be a blissful, cookie-cutter life—that is, until natural disaster strikes and their career paths drastically diverge. Overnight, Olivia’s restaurant receives a rave review in the San Francisco Chronicle and Theo, following a nightmare at work, becomes a stay-at-home dad.

The Roses

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