Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch have spent much of the past year embodying animosity, complete with swearing, shouting, and sneering.
In their latest roles, they portray Ivy and Theo Rose, a formerly enamored affluent couple now embroiled in a bitter divorce battle.
The irony is palpable: the relationship between the two actors is the antithesis of their characters’ warring dynamic. They are, in fact, close friends, their acquaintance dating back decades to a meeting in a radio recording studio.
As I sit down with them the morning after the film’s premiere, the pair, each with a cup of tea in hand, are effusive in their praise of how well the other looked the night before.
Colman expresses her gratitude to Cumberbatch for his support, admitting her aversion to such events and parties. “If it’s my party in my own house with people I know, then I love it,” says the actress known for her role in The Crown.
Cumberbatch concurs, acknowledging the challenges inherent in these events: “You have to have those awkward conversations and really you just want to go and speak to your mum or wife.”
“It is very heightened, odd and a bit weird but you have to just enjoy it and try to find the fun in it.”
The enthusiastic accolades continue as they dissect the previous night. Colman shares that she felt like a “competition winner” at times, while Cumberbatch explains how their acting styles complement each other perfectly.
“I fret, she doesn’t faff, she’s really patient with my fretting and I love her non-faffing. We really do get on incredibly well,” he says.
The Roses is an adaptation of the 1989 film *The War of the Roses*, directed by Danny DeVito and starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner, which depicted a couple undergoing an increasingly acrimonious divorce.
This new iteration transposes the sour marital conflict from the late 1980s into a glossy yet volatile world of modern ambition.
Directed by Jay Roach and written by Tony McNamara, the film features Theo, an architect whose career collapses just as his wife’s career as an up-and-coming chef skyrockets.
Resentment festers as Theo becomes a stay-at-home dad, dedicating his time to training their two children for sports scholarships, while Ivy travels across America opening new restaurants.
While their characters seem to detest every aspect of one another – “I like that he has arms,” Colman’s character quips during a marriage counseling session – both actors are happily married in real life.
Colman is married to producer Ed Sinclair and has three children. Cumberbatch also has three children with playwright and director Sophie Hunter.
With both having been married for a number of years, I inquire about the secret to a successful marriage.
“Don’t be complacent and keep the conversation between you going rather than thinking one of you is always right,” the Sherlock actor says. “It’s also important to be tolerant, understanding and never stop working at it.”
Colman adds that she makes sure she and her husband always appreciate each other and are “being nice and checking in on each other”.
They add that filming The Roses didn’t make them think differently about love and relationships, but jokingly say they learned “not to have hard fruit in the house, don’t throw knives or wear headphones in the bath”.
The Roses explores the ramifications when work, ambition, and family life collide.
Both actors acknowledge the time it has taken to balance career pressures and family life.
In the film, Ivy grapples with guilt over missing key moments in her children’s lives due to her work, a sentiment that resonates deeply with Colman.
“From the moment you have a child, you’ll have guilt.
“I took my eldest on set with me when he was six weeks old and I thought it would be easy but regretted it and even while he was on set, I felt enormous guilt because it didn’t feel like the right environment for him to be in,” Colman says.
She adds that she turns down most jobs which are abroad and normally tries to be home every night.
Cumberbatch agrees: “The British industry is flying right now, so a lot of work comes here including a franchise we’re both part of.”
He’s referring to the Avengers franchise, in which he will reprise his role as Doctor Strange in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday. Colman has previously appeared in Disney+ TV series Secret Invasion, as MI6 agent Sonya Falsworth.
The pair exchange a coy look, giggling nervously – there has been no formal announcement of Colman’s involvement in the films.
I inquire whether we can expect Colman to be involved, to which she responds to Cumberbatch: “If you’ve made this happen because you’ve said this now I will be so thrilled.”
The pair playfully tease me, suggesting she’s the new villainess, but it remains unclear whether she will have a role in the upcoming films.
While there’s no shortage of romantic comedies, including those depicting the downfall of a relationship, few manage to merge both themes in under two hours.
Most critics have lauded the film. The Independent deemed it “relentlessly entertaining” in its four-star review, while The Telegraph praised Colman and Cumberbatch as “deliciously savage.”
In a two-star review, The Guardian suggested that the actors were “let down by the overly glossy romcom-y sheen” of Warren Adler’s novel, *The War of the Roses*, upon which the film is based.
I gather that these two British actors are not particularly concerned with the reviews. Cumberbatch states that the “whole project was based selfishly on us wanting to work together.”
They are eager to discuss potential future collaborations.
Cumberbatch expresses his desire to perform in a play such as *Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?* or *Much Ado About Nothing*, but Colman quickly dismisses the idea: “I really can’t hold a whole play in my head any more.”
While their next joint project remains uncertain, one thing seems clear: this will not be the last time they share the screen.
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