Other Doctor Lives: The Roses (2025, R)

Woohoo, new Ncuti Gatwa project! Since he hasn’t been in too much yet and I covered all his readily-available pre-Who work prior to his debut as Fifteen, it’s exciting to see him pop up in something new, even when he doesn’t have a very big role. The main cast of this movie had caught my eye, but finding out that Gatwa was in it clinched my decision to see it in the theater.

Shakeups in their respective careers and positions within their marriage put a major strain on Theo and Ivy’s relationship. He takes a massive career hit right as her star is on the rise, and Theo doesn’t take nearly as well as he’d like to their initial plan to have Ivy temporarily become the breadwinner while he stays home with the kids. Varying feelings of resentment, inadequacy, and isolation begin to creep in—for both of them—and it’s hard to say if their marriage is hurtling towards divorce or if there’s anything worth saving.

I haven’t seen The War of the Roses from the ‘80s (or read the book it’s based on,) so I came into this film fairly fresh. It’s a dark comedy that gets pretty bitter and vicious at times. I’ve watched my share of divorce stories, ranging from Marriage Story to Everything Will Be Fine, but I wasn’t prepared for how utterly mean this movie is in places.

That can certainly make it hard to watch, but despite the nastiness, I still found the film rather compelling. For me, the most interesting part is that Theo and Ivy do still love each other. We see it when Ivy’s “ten things I like about you” exercise in therapy devolves into insults and they both burst out laughing at the end of her list. We see it when Ivy blinks back tears in the bathroom as she urges herself to apologize for something hurtful she drunkenly spouted off the night before. We see it when Theo becomes increasingly obsessed with the “dream house” he’s designing for them, needing every detail to be perfect so that it’s worthy of Ivy. Their problem is that they can’t show each other their most vulnerable parts. Ivy doesn’t apologize, not really, and Theo can’t convey that the house is a tribute to anything other than his own ego. It’s like the two of them are trapped on a spiteful merry-go-round, and although neither is having a good time, they don’t have the wherewithal or the courage to jump off.

Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman are very effective in the lead roles. That does mean they’re major factors in how uncomfortable the film can get. Both of them are absolutely brutal when the script calls for it, and there’s more than one “train crash” moment where it’s clear that Theo and/or Ivy is regretting their words even as they’re saying them, but they just can’t stop themselves. But it also means that they’re also responsible for the movie’s more rootable emotions, those moments where Ivy and Theo are able to connect and show one another that the love hasn’t died completely. 

Andy Samberg does a nice, understated job as Theo and Ivy’s friend Barry, who’s deeply depressed and unhappy in his marriage but resolutely faking it ‘til he makes it. And I like Kate McKinnon, but she feels somewhat out of place as Barry’s wife Amy. Even though most of her line deliveries are pretty deadpan, her scenes still wind up feeling over-the-top in a way that doesn’t really mesh with the rest of the film. (Don’t get me wrong—there’s a lot in this movie that feels exaggerated, but the Amy parts feel exaggerated in a different way, one that just doesn’t fit as well.) Allison Janney also makes a brief but memorable appearance as a cutthroat divorce lawyer.

Ncuti Gatwa plays Jeffrey, the waiter at Ivy’s restaurant. I’m reminded a little of his role in Barbie, to be honest. That may seem like a weird comparison, because the two films are so wildly different. But in both, Gatwa plays a small supporting part where he mostly gives some nice reaction shots, does a questionable American accent, and wears Outfits (although Barbie obviously has The Roses beat on the Outfits! front.)

Jeffrey has slightly more to do than Gatwa’s Ken does. When the restaurant starts doing well, he compares himself to a stripper because he’s drowning in tips, and he gives Ivy relationship advice that he insists isn’t at all cheapened by the fact that most of his relationships are of the hookup variety. More often than not, though, he exists to set up other characters’ punchlines, mainly Ivy’s. 

At any rate, kudos to Gatwa for getting to work with Colman (and, more briefly, Cumberbatch, Samberg, and McKinnon.) By and large, he acquits himself well, adding a bit of spark to a paper-thin character.

Accent Watch

Ostensibly American (which I know because there’s a scene where all the American characters discuss Theo and Ivy’s British accents,) but those ‘R’s sound decidedly Scottish to me!

Recommend?

In General – A tentative maybe. I’m still trying to decide what I think about it. The performances are very good, and if you’re prepared for the grimness, it might warrant a watch.

Ncuti Gatwa – Not necessarily. As with Barbie, he’s an added bonus if you’re otherwise interested in seeing the film, but his role is just too minor to be worth it purely for him.

Warnings

Language (including the C-word,) sexual content, violence, gross-out humor, drinking/smoking/drug use, and strong thematic elements (including references to suicide.)

Torchwood: Series 2, Episode 5 – “Adam” (2008)

*Episode premise spoilers*

This is an episode where I think the idea is ultimately better than the execution, but I still like it. It’s a cool concept, and I always like it when the alien threats Torchwood faces hit the team on a more personal level.

When Gwen returns to work after a holiday, she’s alarmed to find a stranger in the Hub. But no, wait—that’s just Adam. He’s an invaluable member of the team. He’s always been here, everybody loves Adam. Gwen’s mind was just playing tricks on her. As soon as he touched her, then she remembered everything.

Creatures/entities that can manipulate memories are interesting, because they’re so hard to defeat. How can the heroes even realize they’re in danger, let alone figure out how to fight back? Adam is a bit of a Kilgrave-esque baddie in that he doesn’t seem to have an evil plan. Rather, he’s just a ruthless opportunist, distorting people’s memories to establish himself somewhere and then having his fun, taking whatever he wants in the process. If he decides he has his eye on Tosh, one touch and they’re already in an ongoing relationship. If someone gets suspicious, one touch is all he needs to keep them off his trail. Definitely creepy.

So, great notion, but the way the show handles it is a mixed bag. While it’s interesting to see how the team’s altered memories affect their personalities, the why behind certain changes aren’t always clear. Like, how does it benefit Adam to have Owen acting like a sad dweeb? That’s one that feels like it was done more for the “whaaaat?” factor than for any in-story reason. The stuff with Jack’s past falls flat too. The whole Gray storyline in series 2 isn’t my favorite anyway, but in an episode where you’re dealing with a being who’s all about memories, why would you bring up this new backstory for Jack when his debut appearance on Doctor Who introduced the idea that the Time Agency stole two years’ worth of his memories? Never once does Torchwood address this. I think it would’ve been much more interesting than all the Gray stuff, especially since series 2 also gives us Captain John Hart. In a season with another rogue Time Agent, it would’ve been an ideal time to dig into this mystery—wasted potential.

One thing I do really like, though, is how Adam is found out. He can change the team’s memories and alter their records, so how can someone discover the truth about him? I enjoy how they answer that question, and how, despite Adam’s efforts to cover his tracks, his attempt to silence his accuser backfires on him. I’m talking around the details here to avoid spoilers, but I like how this plays out for the characters involved.

Joel Fry-days: White Van Man: Series 1, Episode 3 – “The Stand” (2011)

Another really fun episode. An entertaining storyline for Ollie with a punchable villain and entertaining side characters, and a good subplot for Darren too! Not to mention, we get a little more for both Liz and Emma.

When a snobby client stiffs Ollie on a job, everyone tells him what a pushover he is. He decides to “take a stand,” blocking the guy’s driveway with the van until Ollie gets what he’s owed. While Ollie’s locked in his standoff, Darren skips out for a day of fun with his mate Irene, an 82-year-old woman that he’s liberated from a nursing home; things don’t quite go as planned.

This is a good plot for Ollie, because even three episodes in, I can feel how in-character this is for him. He is kind of a pushover, as we’ve already seen from him numerous times. Both Tony and Darren point out that Tony would’ve never allowed himself to be ripped off like this, which only fuels Ollie’s insecurities about it. As the other characters keep needling at him, Ollie makes a dramatic move that’s not exactly well thought-out and then basically gets stuck in it, especially when his “protest” against the snooty client starts drawing a crowd of neighbors.

I love that last point. Due to his attitude and entitlement, the client, Jeremy, has made zero friends in the neighborhood, so folks begin to rally to Ollie’s side. They’re headed up by Gordon, an older man who is just living for all of this. Over the course of the episode, he repeatedly quotes Shakespeare, especially Henry V and Julius Caesar. We also get a crowd with picket signs and an impromptu cookout in front of Jeremy’s house. There’s a fun bit where Gordon brings Ollie a cuppa—realizing he guessed wrong on how Ollie takes it, he goes back to a gaggle of neighbors with teas of their own, swapping until he gets one without sugar. Hee!

We get to see Liz outside the hardware store for a significant stretch, learning about some of her ambitions besides helping out at the family shop. It’s a mixed bag for her, and her family (read: Darren) certainly doesn’t make it easy, but I like learning that she has her own stuff going on outside of Ollie and Darren’s sphere. As for Emma, it’s already been shown in previous episodes, but it’s hammered home here that she feeds into Ollie’s pushover tendencies and benefits from them. She’s good at playing it off sweetly—“You don’t mind, do you?” and, “Just one more thing,”—and we also see how she’s very good at giving a firm hand when she wants to. When it comes to “showing who’s boss,” Tony and Emma are probably tied for first place, followed by Darren (because he simply ignores many of the orders he’s given and does his own thing anyway,) then Liz, then Ollie at the rear.

Okay, let’s talk Darren. As he tells Ollie, he met Irene at “the old people’s home” when he used to do some work there with Tony. Though they don’t get many jobs there anymore, he explains, “I still hang out.” First, Darren brings Irene along in the van with him and Ollie, over Ollie’s protests—further making Darren’s point that Ollie’s a pushover. He and Irene tag-team making fun of Ollie, and once the standoff starts to drag on, they ditch Ollie and run off to make mischief together. They’re thick as thieves, going around town causing trouble. At one point, Darren says, “I’ll tell you what, Irene, if I’ve got to grow old, then I’m gonna do it like you: disgracefully.” And yes, he definitely means it as a compliment.

Eventually, the hijinks give way to something less lighthearted, and to my surprise, we get some genuine earnestness from Darren. I was not expecting this from the horny slacker sidekick, especially not in the third episode. But Joel Fry plays this really well, shifting deftly from Darren’s deadpan remarks and comedic running to his sweet concern and quiet moments of vulnerability. And he makes it all fit. I can buy that this is the same character who caused “the bathroom incident” at Jeremy’s house and doesn’t know how to make a sandwich. It doesn’t feel forced, and even within the sweeter or more dramatic scenes, we still get some silly moments. Really nicely done!

Also, I love Darren’s reaction to the very start of Ollie’s “stand.” When they first pull up to Jeremy’s house, Darren and Irene both assume Ollie’s going to confront him and demand his full payment. But when Ollie just stays sitting in the van, Darren asks, “Why aren’t you moving? He’s not a T-rex. You know he can see you, right?” Oh my god, I love it!