ON THE ROCKS

By -

ON THE ROCKS movie poster
Author Laura (Rashida Jones), struggling with writer's block on the next promised book, begins to suspect there's trouble in her marriage. While she stays home taking care of two young daughters, husband Dean (Marlon Wayans) is off on many trips with employee Fiona (Jessica Henwick) trying to make his business succeed. Little things, like late nights at the office, lead Laura to fear infidelity. She turns to her retired art dealer father, the debonair playboy Felix (Bill Murray), for advice and help. Together, they set out to find clues and end up bonding.

Director/writer Sofia Coppola ("Lost in Translation") takes us on an enjoyable lightweight romp. Rashida Jones (TV's "Angie Tribeca") carries the lead well as a distraught woman, but it's Bill Murray who runs away with this film. At age 70, the iconic star is still charismatic in his own familiar way. The scenes he's not in are less satisfying. This is not the fault of the cast surrounding him. It's just that Murray is simply magnetic. Marlon Wayans plays it rather serious, without a comic touch, as husband/father Dean. Jenny Slate briefly portrays Laura's talkative friend Vanessa. Fans of the "Mission: Impossible" television series should be pleased to see Barbara Bain in a cameo as Gran. Another star of this unhurried charmer is New York City. Cinematographer Philippe Le Sourd lovingly displays the metropolis with only a short side trip to Mexico. The French band Phoenix provides a pop score to go along with the scenery and the song "Identical" for the closing credits. The mystery about adultery keeps the audience guessing until the end. Maybe not her best work, Sofia Coppola's story of connection has much going for it. There's no violence and her reliable leading man is on board. "On the Rocks" is undiluted Murray at his finest. (3/5 CAMS)

Rated R (for some language/sexual references)
Running Time: 97 minutes

In theaters October 2, 2020.
Streaming October 23, 2020 on Apple TV+.

Popular posts from this blog

THE MARKSMAN (2021)

By -
Image
Trying to save his Arizona ranch, the last thing loner and ex-Marine Jim Hanson (Liam Neeson) needs is more trouble. When he encounters migrants Rosa (Teresa Ruiz) and her 11-year-old son Miguel (Jacob Perez) running from drug cartel assassins, more trouble comes his way. Promising Rosa he will get Miguel to relatives in Chicago, the hardened Hanson and the young fugitive reluctantly take a dangerous road trip. An unlikely friendship develops as the killers, led by relentless Mauricio (Juan Pablo Raba), get closer. With Liam Neeson the main attraction, a full-blown action thriller is expected. But this latest attempt at making a modern western is surprisingly short on action and thrills. Director Robert Lorenz, who helmed the Clint Eastwood baseball drama "Trouble with the Curve", spends most of this film's length on drama and emotion. Mr. Neeson is up to the task, but this is not what the fans look forward to with a title like "The Marksman". The screenplay by
Read more

LET HIM GO

By -
Image
A few years after the tragic death of their son, retired sheriff George Blackledge (Kevin Costner) and his wife Margaret (Diane Lane) face another change in life. Daughter-in-law Lorna (Kayli Carter) remarries and takes their only grandson away from them. The Blackledges leave their Montana ranch and head for the Dakotas to find their grandchild, who now resides with controlling matriarch Blanche Weboy (Lesley Manville) and her vicious clan. After the Weboys refuse to let mother and child go, George and Margaret prepare for a deadly confrontation. Striking emotional drama and a powerful cast highlight this intense modern western. Based on Larry Watson's novel of the same name, director/screenwriter Thomas Bezucha ("The Family Stone") has created an imposing portrayal of family, loss and determination. It follows the structure of "High Noon": character-driven, with the bulk of action at the end. The deliberate slow-pacing allows the main characters to develop whi
Read more

WONDER WOMAN 1984

By -
Image
Alive and well in 1984, Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) works at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. and in her spare time saves lives and fights crime as Wonder Woman. Foiling a robbery at a mall shop, she is responsible for stolen artifacts being recovered. One of the ancient pieces, a wishing stone, ends up at the Institute. Diana and mousy new co-worker Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig) unknowingly have their deepest desires granted while researching the relic. Driven businessman Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal) wants the stone for his own endgame. Against all odds, the formidable female warrior must battle new enemies with the fate of the world at stake. In grand fashion, Gal Gadot and director Patty Jenkins recapture some of the magic of their 2017 cinematic epic. This time around, Jenkins also handles writing chores with help from Geoff Johns and Dave Callaham. The story may not be unique, but there is much fun from beginning to end and a moral. A flashback to young Diana, again play
Read more