A Guerra das Rosas

Danny DeVito as a director is a rather grim auteur. His films are exclusively aggressive beyond believability, and while I understand that the Douglas and Turner pairing was popular, I can imagine the same story retold by someone else being much more successful. Moreover, I don't notice myself having any interest in reading Warren Adler's original book or its sequel, which is quite the calling card in and of itself. (31/08/2017)

This is a different take on Wars of the Roses, it is called The War of the Roses. The saying "pushing you until you snap." applies very well to this movie. Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner are an absolutely insane and totally convincing couple. Come to think of it – is not the entirety of The War of the Roses perfect too? Woof! (07/04/2009)

An entertaining film and pretty mature in terms of direction and script, which is especially surprising when it comes to the former, as Danny DeVito, who did not have much experience with big-budget productions at the time, took on the project with verve and enthusiasm and the result corresponds to that. The dialogues between the family members are meticulously crafted and there is no shortage of entertaining scenes. Kathleen Turner doesn't attract me at all, but that is just my personal handicap. Michael Douglas plays his classic businessman excellently again. The harsh ending, which deviates significantly from Hollywood's sweet and predictable paths, is also good. (16/06/2008)

There aren’t many films about marriage, but this one is undeniably the best of them all. Danny DeVito surprised me by coming up with such an original and inventive film, which won me over right from the start. What I liked most was how the seemingly idyllic marriage gradually turned into deep animosity. Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner delivered fantastic performances, truly immersing themselves in their roles, and it showed in their acting. All the petty revenges had a certain charm to them. It was a joy to watch the dialogues between the central couple, which gradually escalated. The final dialogue scene, just before the chandelier falls with both main characters, was priceless, and the idea that Barbara, even in her final moments, didn’t forgive Oliver and threw his hand away was absolutely brilliant. I haven’t seen such a well-crafted film in a long time, and I give it 90%. (29/08/2016)

There are films where you say to yourself that they are a waste of time. Another group of films evokes the feeling that it's good but also that watching it once is enough. The third category includes films that you can revisit repeatedly and they will never disappoint. Moreover, as you age, you gain experience and your life roles gradually change, you can find new angles on the actors in this dark comedy, and probably your sym(anti)pathies towards them will at least partially change as well. Many people claim that The War of the Roses should be mandatory viewing for everyone as part of premarital preparation. I'm afraid that following this advice would lead to a radical decrease in an already low number of marriages, so I recommend watching the film only after getting married when it's not easy to back out. However, it really can help avoid bitter endings. Allow me to remind you that children are often the cement and cushion that dampens conflicts in a marriage. Thus, if you decide to get married, which I recommend, let someone else pay my pension - procreate! Overall impression: 90%. (03/02/2019)