JDIFF Day 9 movie pick – War of the Roses

Danny DeVito presents his 1989 dark comedy War of the Roses tonight at the Savoy

By Genna Patterson

Seeing as Danny DeVito is in town already, he may as well attend the screening of his successful movie War of the Roses starring himself, Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas. DeVito will present his movie at the Savoy tonight.

DeVito plays an attorney who tells the story of the Roses couple to a new client wanting a divorce. The Roses are Barbara (Turner) and Oliver (Douglas), a perfect couple to begin with. However soon Barbara wants a divorce and Oliver doesn’t, which leads to a battle of wills as each refuses to give up their beautiful home.

At last night’s Jameson International Film Festival Cult Movie screening of L.A. Confidential, Danny DeVito gave a question and answer session, where he spoke about making War of the Roses. The actor and director described a scene where Douglas and Turner are attached to a chandelier and fall from a great height. He told how, just for the craic, he got them hoisted up onto the chandelier and then called lunch. The whole crew walked out and left them there… for a few minutes. We’d say having DeVito as a director is fun and games all the time. The star also told how he found the script on the floor of his friend Michael Neeson’s car… a good start.

War of the Roses is a dark comedy, which sees the lengths a couple will go to just to break free of each other. Screening on Friday February 22 at the Savoy at 6.10 pm.