Sweet, simple and thoroughly satisfying represent accurate ways to describe Sofia Coppola’s “On the Rocks.”
But it takes Bill Murray’s rascally charm, so evident when he was younger in films such as “Ghostbusters,” “Stripes” and other adolescent comedies, and repurposed for adults to create a movie that blends comedy and drama to great effect as a young mother Laura (Rashida Jones) contends with life’s blahs.
Laura, who’s seemingly isolated because her husband, Dean, (Marlon Wayans) and his business are on an upward trajectory, has to entertain her father Felix’s (Murray) return to New York, along with his thoughts of suspicion as it relates to her situation.
It’s been said that fathers possess a sixth sense when it comes to their daughters. If that’s indeed the case, Felix, a free-wheeling, charmer of a playboy, even slightly beyond middle age, shows impeccable timing in coming home for his “little girl.”
Laura is in a rut, a fact that Coppola demonstrates in just enough, subtle ways. She listens as friends drone on about the problems in their lives all while never asking what’s going on in hers. Compounding her situation, she’s a writer who is verbally constipated and whose words cannot be translated to a computer screen. And, yes, with a busy schedule, Dean’s career and business have picked up, requiring him to travel extensively with an attractive co-worker who manages the firm’s social media account.
Enter dear ol’ dad Felix to plant seeds. Sensing something amiss in her life, Felix makes it his business to help his daughter escape her doldrums, but with that goal comes a little darkness.
After hearing Laura describe her domestic situation, which includes a lot of coincidences and circumstantial evidence as it relates to Dean and his co-worker, the fox still recognizes when another fox is stalking the henhouse and surmises one thing – Dean is clearly cheating. Who’d know better a fellow philanderer? Right?
Felix, however, only has suspicion and that is where he sets out to prove his theory and enlists his daughter in his scheme of mildly hilarious covert surveillance of her husband.
In the process, however, they dissect their relationship and its general sweetness is revealed, as its implied Felix’s lack of fidelity played an enormous role in her parents’ eventual split. What’s genuinely appreciable about this development is Laura is past that part of her life.
We’re given an adult, father-daughter relationship where they treat one another as grown-ups. There is no resentment on Laura’s side, just a willingness to listen to sage advice. What she ultimately must discern, however, is whether Dean is more like Dad or the man she viewed so idealistically when she married him.
Jones creates a character who’s perplexed about her situation and rightfully so. However, Laura is no wimp. She doesn’t whine to daddy, maintains a healthy dose of skepticism and, yet, appreciates her father’s “guidance.” Jones’ performance is wonderfully complex and endearing.
As for Murray? He’s a guy who rarely hits a false note in a performance and “On the Rocks” plays to his strengths, notably the playfulness and the Sahara-like dry wit. Here, he’s at the top of his game and throughout the film you suspect Felix is up to something. It turns out to be something so simple that it’s likely to induce a single tear in many.
Together, Jones and Murry create one of the most memorable father-daughter duos on screen and someone should have thought of Murray portraying a father sooner.
George M. Thomas dabbles in movies and television for the Beacon Journal. Reach him at gthomas@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @ByGeorgeThomas
Details
Movie: “On the Rocks”
Cast: Bill Murray, Rashida Jones, Marlon Wayans.
Directed by: Sofia Coppola
Running time: 1 hour 36 minutes
Rated: Rated R for some language/sexual references
Grade: A-
The Link LonkOctober 07, 2020 at 04:15AM
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Review: Sweet, funny 'On the Rocks' plays to Billy Murray's strengths - Akron Beacon Journal
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