The War of the Roses
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Michael Douglas
Kathleen Turner
Danny DeVito
Marianne Sagebrecht
Sean Astin
Heather Fairfield
Everything beautiful on screen in this glossily photographed film, from the house to Douglas' antique sportscar to the couple's china figurines to the ravishingly leonine Turner herself, is thoroughly trashed by DeVito, whose sicko humor will wind up alienating everyone in the audience.
The aptly intense Douglas is a workaholic Washington, DC, lawyer on the rise in the early years of his marriage to Turner, a saucy former college gymnast who channels her fierce energies into raising two children and remodeling their stately old house. Once her work is completed, she realizes the marriage is a shell, but Douglas refuses to change his ways and causes her to seek a divorce.
In outline, up to this point, the adaptation of the Warren Adler novel follows predictable lines, with Douglas' rampant sexism challenged by Turner's burgeoning feminism. What keeps it fresh are the sexually charged performances of the two attractive leads and the sarcastic twists DeVito and scripter Michael Leeson pull from the material.
(Color) Available on VHS, DVD. Extract of a review from 1989. Running time: 116 MIN.
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