The balance of humor and drama of St. Vincent is much like the two faces of a coin. On one face, the
movie is a dry comedy about an old bastard; on the other face, it’s a drama
about a boy learning about his neighbor and why he is an imperfect old
bastard. The coin flips faces
exceptionally well to keep this movie balanced and wildly entertaining.
Vincent, played by Bill Murray, is an old, drunk jerk. He is
desperate for money in order to keep is wife in hospice care as well as pay off
a loan shark. He meets his new neighbor, played by Melissa McCarthy, and begins
babysitting her son for extra cash. Through experiences like taking the 12 year
old to the racetrack and bars, they both learn form one another.
St. Vincent
features a lot of great talent. The cast is very believable and performs
exceptionally in their roles. It is great to see Melissa McCarthy as the “straight
man” in a movie. Naomi Watts plays Vincent’s pregnant, Russian, stripper
girlfriend and she is a delight. Bill Murray is at his most impressive as well.
He runs the gamut of emotions and is able to play the victim of a stroke
incredibly well.
St. Vincent has a
few moments that are sentimental, but these moments are not distracting nor do
they come off as manipulative. The film was made very well and is incredibly entertaining.
It is some of Bill Murray’s best work and is really worth checking out. Give St. Vincent a try. It is a great movie
that is certainly worth your time.
