In Review: "St. Vincent"

In Review: " St. Vincent"

A movie that is "saved" by its talent.

When was the last time you saw a bad Bill Murray movie? "Monuments Men" (2014) comes to mind. But why did you go see the film in the first place? Because it's a movie about the value of art and the evil of the Nazis? No. It had Bill Murray in it. Whatever he touches, people are simply drawn to it. It's nothing that can be explained, but I've decided to call it the Murray Effect.

The Plot

 

A little kid named Oliver whose parents have just divorced and has been uprooted to a poorer new York neighborhood (probably near Queens) is dealing with the "new kid syndrome". But instead of reaching out to the kids who beat him up after school, he latches on to his ill-tempered neighbor (Murray), a senior named Vincent who drinks too much, swears too much, and whose only friend seems to be his cat. Out of desperation, Maggie, Oliver's mom (Melissa McCarthy), is forced to ask Vincent to watch Oliver while she is away at work. Luckily for Maggie, Vincent owes quite a few people money. Craziness ensues of course for the odd couple. Oliver goes to the race track, visits a bar, and meets Vincent's "lady of the night" (Naomi Watts).

The Stars

 

Why does the Murray Effect exist? As we have gotten to know Murray through the years as a fun-loving, wise-cracking, and sometimes cranky man with a big heart, we have learned to love him. So much so that when he suddenly appears in "Zombieland" (2009), the movie sky rockets from "Oh, yeah that was pretty funny" to "OMG! They killed Bill Murray!" We expect laughs from him, and lots of heart. And this movie allows him to do exactly that. He gets to be sarcastic and heartfelt, blunt and deep, recite quick one-liners and meaningful dialogue. It's nothing that we haven't seen from him before. It simply reminds us what we love most about him.

Poor Melissa McCarthy. She is starting to head towards a bad type-cast. The fat, clumsy, stupid funny girl. She did that in "Identity Thief" (2013), "Tammy" (2014), and even "Hangover Part III" (2013). Stop it Melissa McCarthy! Stop right where you are. I know you're TV show "Mike & Molly" is not doing as great has it has in the past, but that is no reason to give up!

This part in "St. Vincent" is a welcomed change for McCarthy. No, she doesn't get to be the punchline of every joke, but she gets to grow on screen. She gets to break down and cry, get mad and get scared. I believe that this is just a glimpse into what could be if McCarthy decides to choose this path for her career. She needs to take notes from her fellow funny girl Kristen Wiig. Yes, Wiig did all the stupid funny she wanted to in SNL, but since then she has turned a corner and did more serious roles like "The Skeleton Twins". She has become more than just another funny girl.

Another "Bridesmaids" alum shows up in this film- Chris O'Dowd. And he could not be more perfect as Brother Geraghty, the teacher of Oliver's new Catholic school. O'Dowd brought me back to those plaid skirts day when I knew the Stations of the Cross between than my times tables. His quick wit and sly comments will make you think if your grade school nun days were as funny as this classroom.

The Message

 

Never judge a book by its cover. Don't judge a person before you get to know them. Miracles come in the most unexpected places. Angels are all around us. The main issue I have with this film is it can't quite decide what it wants to say or it never really gets there. It throws funny lines at you, presents silly situations and circumstances, and gives you a dash of sincerity. So by the end of it all, yes, you love Vincent and wish you could meet him in real life, but that's really all you know.

There is a side plot where Oliver's birth-father wants to get full custody because his mother is basically leaving Oliver with this crazy man all night long. Logically, it makes sense that the father should be questioning his ex-wife's state of mind when she decided to let this senior citizen babysit her kid. But the scenes are so rushed through that the problem instantly gets solved and Vincent's authority as a caretaker is not questioned again. So who is judging Vincent now? Maggie? The world? The audience? I'm not really sure.

Overall

 

 

I loved this Bill Murray movie, and think of it as exactly that. This is a film to enjoy Murray in all of his glory and get to watch a couple other choice actors make you laugh and cry. But would I put this on my must-have list? No, not really. It was fun to watch though.

2.5 out of 4 Halos