War of the Roses

War of the Roses (1989)
Director: Danny Devito
Cast: Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, Danny Devito, Sean Astin, Dan Castellanetta
Memorable Line(s): "How do you hold onto someone who won't stay? And how do you get rid of someone who won't go?"

War of the Roses is a dark, dark comedy. It has resonated over the years for me and still has the same disquieting effect.

Oliver (Douglas) and Barbara's (Turner) marriage goes south and while most divorces have some acrimony in them, this one is near nuclear. They begin to fight over the small things and this fight escalates until it becomes nearly lethal.

Douglas and Turner savagely eat screen real estate. The writing and direction are the real stars of the movie, though. Devito keeps the edge on every scene. You wait for it to let up and he takes you the edge of thinking that the movie will turn towards some sort normal path, but he retains his resolve and it stays in the dark till the better end.

Not for every taste, The War of the Roses is for people who want their comedy with a bite.