On the Rocks

Starring: Bill Murray, Rashida Jones, Marlon Wayans, Jessica Henwick, Jenny Slate, Liyanna Muscat
Directed by: Sofia Coppola
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama
2020

Times Seen:
Tim: 1


Summary: When she begins suspecting her husband (Marlon Wayans) of infidelity, a woman (Rashida Jones) teams with her carefree father (Bill Murray) to investigate.

Review:

Tim: On the Rocks isn't a bad movie, but it goes off the rails with the script. Sofia Coppola wrote and directed the movie, so you certainly need to focus on her shortcomings. I recognize this may be somewhat unfair- this film received generally strong reviews from critics. I suppose that's fine, but this felt like a minor effort from a talented individual. Coppola's direction is strong, but the script really betrays her ambitions. I wish she had let someone else write the movie.

Something just felt off to me about this story. It's fairly straightforward- a woman suspects her husband is cheating on her and her playboy father gets involved, which helps and yet complicates matters. That aspect of the film works. The entire film is about this woman trying to discover the truth about her husband, basically by taking the most adventurous and yet dumbest way possible. As the film progresses, the story becomes more and more ridiculous, culminating in a typical Hollywood climax in Mexico. The whole film feels disconnected from reality. It feels like a rich woman writing about the problems of people she doesn't understand. Maybe upper elites would relate to this film, but for most Americans, it feels a bit away from reality. It makes for a decent story, but it felt like a Hollywood version of reality. Sometimes that can be okay, but it held this movie back. I never for a second believed these characters or the situation. It was unmoored from reality. By the end of the movie, it was a bit hard to stomach. I didn't care for the ending at all. It felt too convenient, too nicely tied together. It felt forced and inauthentic.

This is a shame and I do think Coppola is to blame. The assembled cast is a strong one. Bill Murray was excellent in this role. I really think he's an underrated actor. He doesn't act with enough frequency to stay at the front of our minds, but whenever he shows up, he's really good. He plays this role with energy, charm, and charisma. It's the small things he does so well. He's definitely a big reason to see the film. I've always liked Rashida Jones, going back to her days on The Office. She's really effective here. She has such a relatable quality to her and while audiences might struggle to relate to the situation, it's easy to form an emotional connection with her. Jones and Murray work exceptionally well together. It was legitimately fun to watch them interact. Pairing Murray with younger, smart actresses has worked well previously and it does so again here. Marlon Wayans was fine, I can't fault his performance- it's a solid one. His character was probably the most problematic and worst-written, which shows up on screen. I loved seeing Jessica Henwick here. She was the best part of the Iron Fist series, and while I didn't love her performance, it's effective enough. The cast worked for this story.

I don't want you to think I disliked On the Rocks. I was glad I had a subscription to Apple TV+ so I could watch this movie. It's a decent movie that wisely doesn't overstay it's welcome. The problem is that Sofia Coppola is talented and yet doesn't ever quite live up to that talent. That's probably why I feel frustrated. This is the 5th Coppola film I've seen and none of them have been good. She keeps getting close, but never quite getting there. Critics might have liked this film, but Coppola needed to do better.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6.5



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