The Roses

Starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman, The Roses is a reboot of the 1989 black comedy The War of the Roses; its ensemble cast include comedy luminaries such as Andy Samberg, Kate McKinnon, and Zoë Chao. The thoughtful song choice here is “It’s Oh So Quiet”, written by Hans Lang, Erich Meder, and Bert Reisfeld. Originally written in 1948, it’s popped up from time to time over the years, including in Björk’s famous 1995 cover and in one by the Pussycat Dolls in 2002. However, it’s chosen probably not so much for its recognizability as for its narrative fit—the song is a humorous ploy on the unpredictability and volatility of emotions, positive and negative, that come with love. It works so well, it feels bespoke.

The cover doesn’t appear to be the one by Björk, thought it clearly hearkens to that recording, especially during the chorus. For the first minute of the trailer, the instrumentation is tranquil, with gentle marimba and simple harmonies. As the trailer proceeds, the situation gets more and more chaotic in humorous contrast to the marimba soundtrack.

At 0:48 with the director’s title card, a plaintive clarinet emerges with acoustic guitar, still holding down an emotional counterpoint as Benedict and Colman continue to aggravate each other and trade barbs. A bit of glockenspiel—humorously, even more gentle—precedes a one-liner at 1:08 that leads to the big band chorus.

This plays out without interruption as we see a montage where their acrimony becomes more and more escalated, and would be dramatic if not couched firmly as a piece of dark humour—by the end, guns are out. Thankfully, it’s dialled back at bit toward the close, as we see the couple in counselling, chastising the counsellor for conceding their relationship may just be beyond repair.

While there aren’t many other trailer music tropes to speak of here, such as synch points or common sound effects, it does feel refreshing to pretty well just let the song play. There isn’t much to it other than light edits at sections to match the shifts in mood throughout, but it works well.

Overall, the song is a judicious fit for the plot, fitting a demographic that might skew a bit older—maybe those in their 40s, more or less, who might remember the Björk cover. And as with any good choice of cover song, recognition isn’t a prerequisite for it being a good fit in the context of the trailer.

The Roses arrives in theatres August 29th.

— Curtis Perry