There isn't a plethora of funny lines in "The War of the Roses" (it's just not that kind of comedy), but the blistering cynicism about marriage makes them stand out all the same (the stabbing victim in the hospital claimed most of these). If you want to call this a cautionary tale of divorce, I'm just fine with that. Watching these people bitterly drift apart is uncomfortable, and the filmmakers know this because the whole third act is the literal destruction of everything they've labored so long to build. The absurdity is almost a salve.

It's a comedy, but also dark as hell. The dialogue, on the other hand, that's fantastic.

7/10

You know a movie is funny when you're by yourself and laughing out loud. This is a hilarious saga of a divorcing couple, both of whom refuse to leave their house. "The gloves are off," Michael Douglas announces to wife Kathleen Turner, although for the viewer, they had been off for some time. Both stop at nothing to drive the other out.

It's a strange film in a way because it starts out as a love story and slowly builds, as little signs that all is not well in paradise begin to emerge. Once the ugliness starts, there's no stopping it, and the film rapidly becomes a very black comedy.

Turner and Douglas receive able support from a very funny Danny Devito, who also directed, and the wonderful Marianne Sagebrecht, who provides a gentle presence amidst the chaos.

Technically, this is a pretty well-made film. The script is, at times, interesting and the actors involved do a good job of making you hate them. But, overall, the film is a major downer--a depressing and awful film that is best if it is only seen by those planning on a divorce. Others just don't need the pain involved in watching this nightmare.

Douglas and Turner portray a couple who go from a troubled marriage to all out war. Their utter cruelty to each other might be seen as funny by some, but most will only cringe at the evil that comes from them. And, I seriously wonder if past victims of domestic violence might just experience flashbacks of past violence when viewing this variation on CELEBRITY DEATHMATCH. In the end, the two creeps literally kill each other. Wow--that's pretty funny stuff,...if you are a sadist.

But, for warring couples perhaps this is a good warning. Watching this with their spouse might be the thing to stop their bull!@^& and bickering from getting any worse!