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Lately, Bill Murray has been popping up in the strangest places and doing the strangest things, drawing attention on the Internet for crashing parties and kidnapping costars and photo-bombing engagement pictures. And it’s the beloved comic’s fun-loving brand of humanity that comes shining through in his latest film, St. Vincent.
In this easy-going comedy, Murray stars as Vincent MacKenna, a cranky old veteran who lives alone in a rundown house in Brooklyn. Vin’s laundry list of vices has left him beyond broke, so when his new neighbor kid, Oliver (Jaeden Lieberher), shows up at his door, it seems like the perfect opportunity to make a few bucks. Desperate to get their lives back on track, Oliver’s newly-divorced mom, Maggie (Melissa McCarthy), hesitantly agrees to Vin’s offer of after-school babysitting, not realizing the kind of unsavory lessons that the old man is teaching her son.
St. Vincent is an irreverently charming feel-good comedy. The story isn’t especially new or surprising—nor is it as powerful or thought-provoking as the typical award season release. But it’s the kind of light, quirky romp that’s guaranteed to leave you with a warm, fuzzy feeling—and a smile on your face.
The characters are irresistibly lovable—especially precocious young Oliver, who gives Vincent the friendship and unconditional love that he needs at a time when everyone else has given up on him. But even Vincent has moments of humanity—as cranky characters like him tend to do. Sure, he smokes and drinks too much; he’s gambled his money away; and he regularly pays a pregnant Russian stripper (Naomi Watts) for her companionship. Yes, he’s a bitter old guy who’s quick to take advantage of others. But, somewhere in there, he still has a heart, and he shows it in surprising (and often unconventional) ways.
What really makes the film, though, is its remarkable cast—everyone from adorable newcomer Lieberher to Chris O’Dowd, who plays Oliver’s hilariously sarcastic Catholic school teacher. And Murray is the best he’s been in years—perhaps since his Oscar-nominated performance in Lost in Translation. It isn’t easy to portray such a complicated character—to make him crabby and unpleasant yet strangely likable—but he handles it with ease, tackling both comedy and drama with a gruff Brooklyn accent.
McCarthy’s role, meanwhile, is entirely unexpected. Far from the loud, sloppy characters that have become her trademark since her breakout role in Bridesmaids, McCarthy’s Maggie is refreshingly relatable. This is the kind of character that the actress can (and should) play: charming and funny instead of obnoxious and irritating. And I can only hope that we’ll see her more in this kind of role.
It may not be entirely fresh and original, but St. Vincent is lovable in almost every way—from its flawed characters to its surprising performances. It’s quirky without going too over-the-top and charming without getting too sappy—an enjoyably laid-back comedy.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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