I’ll admit it…
I had a smile on my face throughout most of ST. VINCENT’s one hour and 42 minutes long running time. That doesn’t make it a great movie by any means—but certainly an enjoyable one. I defy anyone watching it not having his or her heart strings tugged.
Having said all that, I DID feel a bit manipulated by the film.
In ST. VINCENT Bill Murray plays Vincent, a down-on-his-luck grumpy Vietnam vet. A cranky, drunken old coot asked by his new next door neighbor to watch her kid for a few hours after school—which he accepts after negotiating a $ 12.00 per hour fee.
She’s Melissa McCarthy who’s going through a divorce and is putting in long hours at her hospital job.
Bill Murray as a babysitter?
Yeap, and it’s quite an education for the 12 year old kid.
Booze. The race track. Trips to a strip club. And Murray’s friend Naomi Watts playing a pregnant stripper who also ‘services’ Vincent once a week.
Bad influences and an R-rated education abound as Murray nails the babysitter relationship here. There’s also eventual redemption and lots of cliches, not to mention a mysterious woman Murray visits frequently in a nursing facility.
He’s a real piece of work, that St. Vincent…..
Some observations.
Bill Murray here plays almost a parody of himself. Kinda like Clint Eastwood did in GRAN TORINO. Melissa McCarthy meanwhile has basically a non-comical role and pretty well plays it straight.
(Thank God for that after last summer’s painful TAMMY.)
It’s Naomi Watts who’s almost over the top as the pregnant stripper and part-time hooker complete with Russian accent. But it’s young Oliver who almost steals the show. He’s played by Jaeden Lieberher and he’s terrific!
Sentimental. Funny. Feel good.
Think BAD SANTA with shades of UNCLE BUCK thrown in for good measure.
ST. VINCENT opens citywide. In my book it scores a B.
JACK GOES TO THE MOVIES Friday mornings at 6:40 a.m. and 8:40 a.m. on KMBZ FM & AM. And anytime on Facebook.
Saw it yesterday. Funny flick.