The hosts discuss the film's captivating setup, featuring Theo as a perfectionist architect and Ivy as a talented chef, whose lives unravel after a spontaneous move to Northern California. They highlight how the decade-long facade of marital bliss crumbles as success becomes a double-edged sword, culminating in a hilarious yet poignant moment when Ivy's restaurant, whimsically named "We've Got Crabs," receives a game-changing review just as Theo's career faces disaster.
Listeners will appreciate the role reversal that ensues, with Ivy becoming the breadwinner while Theo adapts to life as a health-obsessed househusband. Chris and Jessica delve into the film's clever use of parenting differences as a metaphor for power struggles, with nutrition choices sparking a proxy war between the couple. The episode showcases Tony McNamara's brilliant writing, which balances humor and emotional depth, creating exchanges that are both funny and devastating.
The discussion also highlights the supporting cast, particularly Kate McKinnon as the awkwardly flirtatious Amy, and Florian Hoffmeister's stunning cinematography that transforms beautiful locations into a battlefield of emotions. Jay Roach's direction is praised for its ability to juxtapose comedy with psychological tension, making the film feel incredibly relevant to modern relationships.
With a solid rating of 8.5 out of 10, *The Roses* offers a compelling look at the thin line between love and hate in contemporary marriages, serving as both a scathing commentary and an entertaining cinematic experience. Join Chris and Jessica as they dissect this unique film that invites reflection on the complexities of love in a modern world.
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00:00:00 --> 00:00:01 Chris: You know what's fascinating about
00:00:01 --> 00:00:03 relationships? They can start as a perfect
00:00:03 --> 00:00:05 fairy tale and end up looking more like Game
00:00:05 --> 00:00:08 of Thrones. And this new film, the
00:00:08 --> 00:00:10 Roses, proves that a
00:00:10 --> 00:00:12 444-year-old saying about love and war
00:00:13 --> 00:00:14 is more relevant than ever.
00:00:15 --> 00:00:17 Jessica: Let me tell you why that's so interesting.
00:00:17 --> 00:00:20 This phrase, all's fair in love and war from
00:00:20 --> 00:00:23 1579 feels completely modern in this dark
00:00:23 --> 00:00:26 comedy, especially with powerhouses like
00:00:26 --> 00:00:28 Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch
00:00:28 --> 00:00:29 bringing it to life.
00:00:30 --> 00:00:32 Chris: Well, what really grabbed me is how they've
00:00:32 --> 00:00:34 reimagined that classic 1989 War of the
00:00:34 --> 00:00:37 Roses film, but with this contemporary twist
00:00:37 --> 00:00:40 about career dynamics and power shifts.
00:00:40 --> 00:00:43 The way they set up these characters. Theo as
00:00:43 --> 00:00:46 this perfectionist architect and Ivy as this
00:00:46 --> 00:00:48 brilliant chef. It's like watching a time
00:00:48 --> 00:00:51 bomb being assembled in slow motion.
00:00:51 --> 00:00:54 Jessica: Hmm. M. And the fuse gets lit when they make
00:00:54 --> 00:00:57 that spontaneous move to Northern California.
00:00:57 --> 00:01:00 Right? The way they show this decade of
00:01:00 --> 00:01:02 seemingly perfect marriage before everything
00:01:02 --> 00:01:03 starts to unravel.
00:01:04 --> 00:01:06 Chris: You know what's exactly what makes this so
00:01:06 --> 00:01:09 compelling? Watching how success becomes this
00:01:09 --> 00:01:12 double edged sword. I mean, Theo
00:01:12 --> 00:01:14 designs this ambitious nautical museum while
00:01:14 --> 00:01:17 Ivy's stuck at home. Then he gives her this
00:01:17 --> 00:01:18 chance to open her restaurant with that
00:01:18 --> 00:01:21 hilarious name. We've got crabs.
00:01:22 --> 00:01:24 Jessica: Oh my God. Yes. And then fate just comes
00:01:24 --> 00:01:27 in like a wrecking ball. That storm
00:01:27 --> 00:01:29 destroying Theo's career. Right. When Ivy's
00:01:29 --> 00:01:31 restaurant gets that game changing review,
00:01:31 --> 00:01:34 it's like watching a perfectly choreographed
00:01:34 --> 00:01:34 disaster.
00:01:35 --> 00:01:37 Chris: Well, the role reversal is what really takes
00:01:37 --> 00:01:40 this to another level. When Ivy becomes the
00:01:40 --> 00:01:42 breadwinner and Theo transforms into this
00:01:42 --> 00:01:44 health obsessed househusband, it's like
00:01:44 --> 00:01:46 watching two people trying to rewrite their
00:01:46 --> 00:01:48 entire relationship contract without actually
00:01:48 --> 00:01:49 talking to each other.
00:01:50 --> 00:01:52 Jessica: Speaking of which, how brilliant is it that
00:01:52 --> 00:01:55 they used the kids nutrition as this proxy
00:01:55 --> 00:01:58 war? Like sugar treats versus green
00:01:58 --> 00:02:00 smoothies becoming this whole metaphor for
00:02:00 --> 00:02:01 their power struggle.
00:02:01 --> 00:02:04 Chris: And that's where Tony McNamara's writing just
00:02:04 --> 00:02:07 shines. I mean, this is the same guy who gave
00:02:07 --> 00:02:09 us poor things. And the favorite, the way he
00:02:09 --> 00:02:11 crafts these exchanges that are
00:02:11 --> 00:02:13 simultaneously hilarious and devastating.
00:02:14 --> 00:02:16 It's like watching a comedy routine performed
00:02:16 --> 00:02:17 with surgical scalpels.
00:02:18 --> 00:02:20 Jessica: Let me point out how the supporting cast adds
00:02:20 --> 00:02:22 these perfect layers of complexity,
00:02:23 --> 00:02:25 especially Kate McKinnon as Amy making those
00:02:25 --> 00:02:28 awkward advances toward Theo. It's like
00:02:28 --> 00:02:30 watching someone try to flirt during a
00:02:30 --> 00:02:31 hostage situation.
00:02:32 --> 00:02:33 Chris: You know what really elevates this whole
00:02:33 --> 00:02:36 thing? The way Florian Hoffmeister's
00:02:36 --> 00:02:39 cinematography transforms these gorgeous
00:02:39 --> 00:02:42 locations into this battlefield. And when
00:02:42 --> 00:02:45 we get to that dream home design, oh
00:02:45 --> 00:02:47 man, it's like watching someone build their
00:02:47 --> 00:02:48 own personal Titanic.
00:02:49 --> 00:02:51 Jessica: That's exactly what makes Jay Roach's
00:02:51 --> 00:02:53 direction so impressive. The way he balances
00:02:53 --> 00:02:55 these moments of pure comedy with this
00:02:55 --> 00:02:58 underlying current of psychological warfare.
00:02:59 --> 00:03:01 Chris: Well, what's really fascinating is how
00:03:01 --> 00:03:03 they've managed to make this story feel so
00:03:03 --> 00:03:05 relevant to modern relationships.
00:03:06 --> 00:03:08 The way they handle career competition,
00:03:08 --> 00:03:10 parenting differences, and the slow erosion
00:03:10 --> 00:03:12 of trust. It's like watching a relationship
00:03:12 --> 00:03:15 autopsy that's somehow both hilarious and
00:03:15 --> 00:03:16 horrifying.
00:03:17 --> 00:03:19 Jessica: So what you're saying is this film really
00:03:19 --> 00:03:21 captures how thin the line is between love
00:03:21 --> 00:03:22 and hate in modern marriages?
00:03:24 --> 00:03:26 Chris: Precisely. And that's what makes it so
00:03:26 --> 00:03:28 powerful. It takes these relatable elements
00:03:28 --> 00:03:31 of modern relationships. The career
00:03:31 --> 00:03:32 pressures, the parenting battles, the power
00:03:32 --> 00:03:35 dynamics, and pushes them to their logical
00:03:35 --> 00:03:38 extreme. It's like holding up this
00:03:38 --> 00:03:40 funhouse mirror to marriage that
00:03:40 --> 00:03:43 somehow shows us the truth more clearly than
00:03:43 --> 00:03:45 a, uh, regular reflection would.
00:03:46 --> 00:03:48 Jessica: Let me tell you why this resonates so much.
00:03:48 --> 00:03:50 It's because underneath all the clever
00:03:50 --> 00:03:53 dialogue and stunning visuals, there's this
00:03:53 --> 00:03:55 universal truth about how easily love can
00:03:55 --> 00:03:58 transform into something else entirely.
00:03:58 --> 00:04:01 Chris: And that's really the genius of this film. It
00:04:01 --> 00:04:03 manages to be both a scathing commentary on
00:04:03 --> 00:04:06 modern relationships and. And an incredibly
00:04:06 --> 00:04:08 entertaining piece of cinema. It's m
00:04:08 --> 00:04:10 definitely one of those rare films that makes
00:04:10 --> 00:04:13 you laugh while also making you think deeply
00:04:13 --> 00:04:15 about your own relationships and what it
00:04:15 --> 00:04:17 really means when we say all's fair in love
00:04:17 --> 00:04:20 and war. This is mental and physical
00:04:20 --> 00:04:22 comedy at its finest and makes for a
00:04:22 --> 00:04:25 thoroughly enjoyable time at the cinema. The
00:04:25 --> 00:04:27 roses scores an 8.5 out of 10.