The War of the Roses (1989)

Directed by Danny DeVito. Starring Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, Danny DeVito, Marianne Sägebrecht, Dan Castellaneta, G. D. Spradlin, Sean Astin, Heather Fairfield, Peter Donat. [R]

This spiteful black comedy certainly won’t be everyone’s cup of tea (or spread of suspect paté), but those who can vibe to director DeVito’s relentlessly hostile and visually dynamic approach will find much to caustically savor. After meeting “great,” Oliver (Douglas) and Barbara (Turner) marry and build a family and luxuriant home, but after the kids head off to college, the cracks in the façade finally rupture, Barbara demands a divorce, and the two get locked in a messy legal battle where neither one will give up (or move out of) their mansion—it may even require exercising the “‘til death do us part” clause. Go-for-broke performances from the leads and Stephen H. Burum’s inspired camerawork highlight the mean-spirited shenanigans of this horrific farce. The particulars of their final stand veer a little too far into fantasy, but it’s worth it to get to Turner’s final kiss-off. Third and (sadly) final film uniting the three principal actors (previously, Romancing the Stone and its sequel, Jewel of the Nile). Adapted from Warren Adler’s novel by Michael J. Leeson; co-produced by James L. Brooks.

82/100