The type of mid-budget star-vehicle that gets sold in production meetings with the caveat that it's "a feel-good movie." With Bill Murray acting like a lovable jerk (not a big stretch for Murray), "St. Vincent" also has the earmarks of a project groomed and designed to generate Oscar buzz--it has 'prestige' by way of its edgy but essentially warmhearted presentation. A grouchy Vietnam veteran in Brooklyn inadvertently becomes a babysitter for the little boy living next door after his parents split up and Mom has to work all day at the hospital. Fill-in-the-blanks screenplay by director Theodore Melfi has absolutely no surprises up its sleeve, and Murray is no longer the inimitable rascal you hate to love (he's present, but I question his sincerity). The picture isn't unique--it doesn't feel fresh, it doesn't tear you up--and Oscar did not come calling. I'm not even sure what Melfi was ultimately aiming for here (beyond setting up his happy ending), especially with the anticlimactic casting of Melissa McCarthy as the child's harried mother (she has little to do but react and scold). There's not a convincing scene in the entire 102 minutes, but some audiences may respond to its 'endearing' qualities, which is what the people behind "St. Vincent" had planned for all along. ** from ****
Review of St. Vincent
St. Vincent
(2014)
He smokes, he drinks, he gambles, he's immoral...but he's there for you!
27 November 2016