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| Courtesy of The Weinstein Company |
Awards
season is officially in full swing, with Gone Girl getting a lot of buzz
thanks to critical acclaim and box office success. However, recent film
festivals have revealed numerous other contenders generating chatter of their
own.
So
over the next few weeks, I’ll be writing about films that might take their time
getting to local theaters, but they’re definitely titles you’ll need to keep in
mind if you enjoy prognosticating about the Oscars. You know, an annual horserace
that means everything to the movie industry and pretty much nothing to everyone
else.
This
week’s entry is St. Vincent, a sweet, clichéd comedy that overcomes its
predictable narrative thanks to a stellar cast including Bill Murray, Melissa
McCarthy, Naomi Watts and newcomer Jaeden Lieberher. Granted, I don’t exactly
have the best track record when it comes to reading the minds of Academy voters.
But, based on the material they tend to fawn over, I’m guessing that Murray is
a shoo-in for a Best Actor nomination.
The
beloved actor plays Vincent, a standard movie deadbeat whose abhorrent behavior
clearly masks a heart of gold. When single mom Maggie (McCarthy) and her
12-year-old son Oliver (Lieberher) move in next door, they don’t exactly become
fast friends. But when Maggie’s job forces her to spend more time away from
home than she planned, she’s forced to beg Vincent to babysit.
Since
he’s up to his eyeballs in debt, he’ll do anything for cash – especially an easy
job like looking after the shy Oliver. But Vincent quickly realizes the kid’s
parents have taught him nothing about life, essentially leaving him alone in a
new neighborhood and making him an easy target for bullies. The cantankerous
old man takes it upon himself to teach Oliver a few life lessons.
Over
the course of the film, the kid learns important stuff like how to fight, how
to bet on the ponies, how to make friends at the local watering hole and how to
meet women, specifically a pregnant Russian prostitute (Watts) that Vincent is
fond of. If you guessed that the two become unlikely friends and change each
other’s lives for the better, then congratulations – you’ve seen a movie
before.
While St. Vincent gets no points for originality, it’s still a charming movie that
worked my emotions like a punching bag. I predicted every story beat well
before it happened, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t wiping away tears during the
last act. The comedic elements are familiar, but still made me laugh out loud.
The
dramatic elements work the same way. Even though writer/director Theodore Melfi
throws in every formulaic plot complication he can think of – there’s even a
menacing loan shark played by Terrence Howard! – the immensely talented actors
elevate the material.
It’s been a while since Murray took on a leading role (maybe
“Broken Flowers” all the way back in 2005?),
but I’m glad he’s back. On paper, Vincent is your typical curmudgeon – the
Grinch archetype we’ve seen a million times. But Murray instills the character
with a ton of personality, plenty of heart and the astonishing ability to
communicate a lifetime of pain with a single facial expression.
Someone
else I’m glad to see back? McCarthy playing a character other than the brash,
foul-mouthed social outcast she has recycled over the last few years. She was
hilarious in Bridesmaids and The Heat, but her shtick proved tiring in Identity
Thief and this summer’s critically-reviled Tammy. Thankfully, her work here
– as a frustrated, overworked mother trying to do the right thing by her son –
should remind viewers that she’s equally adept at low-key comedy mixed with
pathos.
Just
as compelling is Lieberher, who eschews stereotypical child actor quirks and
comes across as a real kid. His chemistry with Murray is outstanding, and his
scenes with McCarthy are strong too, ensuring the pair comes across like a real
mother and son. The young actor nails the film’s final scenes, which could’ve
been far more cheesy and problematic with a less-talented performer.
Aside
from the predictability, my biggest gripe with St. Vincent is how rarely we
get to see Chris O’Dowd (McCarthy’s Bridesmaids co-star), who plays a caring,
sarcastic priest at Oliver’s new Catholic school. The witty actor steals every
scene he’s in – I just wish he was in more of them.
Nevertheless,
the film has the perfect ingredients to serve as a crowd-pleaser. If the
internet is any indication, the public is currently more in love with Murray
than they’ve ever been. Combine that with a cute kid and a popular actress who’s
finally getting a chance to branch out a little, and St. Vincent might just
get a little bit of awards love as well.
St.
Vincent is rated PG-13 for mature thematic material including sexual content,
alcohol and tobacco use, and for language.
Grade:
B
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