St. Vincent

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. . . knock your socks off. Beginning with its opening joke about the porch, ST. VINCENT is full of some of the most memorable lines and scenes of 2014. Though it may not be any more realistic if closely analyzed than one of its competitors in theaters now, the preposterous melodrama THE BEST OF ME, Bill Murray as the title character Vincent never pushes too hard, letting his curmudgeon character develop in an organic, evenly-paced manner. Melissa McCarthy turns in a perfectly understated performance as Vincent's hapless, newly-divorced single-mom neighbor. This flick is so moving that it really doesn't matter if the two dialect coaches for Naomi Watts' pregnant hooker character failed to perfect the accent for which they were aiming. As the sanctifying kid Oliver says in summing up Vincent's life toward the end of this story, it takes great flaws to make a fantastic human being, and something similar probably can be said regarding feature films.

Vincent (Bill Murray) is a baby boomer who failed to adequately plan for his retirement. His money has ran out. Fred Thompson won't give him another dime on his reverse mortgage. He has a rough exterior as he drinks, gambles, and frequents a prostitute (Naomi Watts). Circumstance places him as a baby sitter for puny Oliver (Jaeden Lieberher) the son of soon to be single mom Maggie (Melissa McCarthy) who has her own issues. While Vinny introduces Oliver to vices, he also sees the basic compassion and humanity in the man no one would expect to have any. The film is funny and heart warming almost as if it was a Magnolia indie. Murray and McCarthy did an excellent job as did the supporting cast. Chris O'Dowd as Brother Geraghty was a hoot. Parental Guide: F-bomb, sex. No nudity.

ST. VINCENT (2014) *** Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy, Naomi Watts, Chris O' Dowd, Terrence Howard, Jaeden Liebrher, Kimberly Quinn, Lenny Venito, Nat Corddry. Murray shines as a misanthropic mope whose run of bad luck continues until he meets his new neighbors McCarthy and her young son (talented newcomer Liebrher) who reluctantly lets him take care of which leads to mischief, life lessons and ultimately giving the ol' lug a reason to believe again (in himself and in life). While novice filmmaker Theodore Melfi (who also penned the connect-the-dots screenplay) allows some nice interaction with his game cast it is clearly a showcase for elder statesman comedian non-parallel Murray to balance comedy and somber drama with ease (and hopefully another Oscar nod) as the ramshackle mess of a man. Funny and warm yet somewhat predictable but c'mon it's Bill Freaking Murray!

I don't review many movies, but after watching St. Vincent, I thought the 7.5 rating was a bit unfair and I wanted to put my two cents in. I went into this thinking I was going to watch a comedy. I figured it was going to be like a funny version of Gran Torino. But this movie is a drama with a lot heart that also has some great humor peppered throughout. It's insane that IMDb categorizes it as a 'comedy' only. To me, this movie is first and foremost a drama. There are heart-wrenching moments, sweet moments, and funny moments, all done very well. I love Bill Murray, but I've never thought of him as a great actor. Boy was I pleasantly surprised here. There were times when I nearly forgot I was watching Bill Murray. He absolutely nailed the role. He made me laugh, and he made me grab more than one tissue. It's not a complicated story, and not a terribly unique story, but it's a good story. And it has plenty of great moments that will tug at your heart. If you want a heartwarming drama that will make you laugh and make you cry, you can't go wrong with St. Vincent. And you'll probably walk away with a bit more respect for Bill Murray as an actor. I know I did. I highly recommend St. Vincent. 8.5/10

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 ****

The grumpy and unpleasant Vincent (Bill Murray) is a veteran Vietnam sergeant completely broken that gambles in horse races and owes money to the shark Zucko (Terrence Howard). He is a regular client of the * Daka (Naomi Watts) that is closed to him. When the CT operator Maggie (Melissa McCarthy) moves with her son Oliver (Jaeden Lieberher) to the next-door house, Vincent offers to babysit him to make money. Maggie, who is facing a divorce process, accepts and soon Vincent finds that Oliver is bullied at school. He teaches the boy how to defend himself; he takes him to visit Sandy (Donna Mitchell) in a nursing home; and to go to the horse races and bars. Soon they become friends and partners. When Brother Geraghty (Chris O'Dowd ) asks his students to prepare a lecture about a saint, Oliver learns the life of Vincent and understands his behavior. "St. Vincent" is an entertaining dramatic comedy with great characters and dialogs. Bill Murray is very funny with his behavior and lines. Jaeden Lieberher seems to be a promising actor with magnificent performance in his debut. Naomi Watts and Melissa McCarthy complete the lead cast with also wonderful performances. It is impossible to highlight the best moments of this film. My vote is seven. Title (Brazil): "Um Santo Vizinho" ("A Holy Neighbor")

Vincent MacKenna (Bill Murray) is a drunken grumpy gambling Vietnam vet. He has run out of money. He can't even pay pregnant Russian prostitute Daka (Naomi Watts) for her regular visits. Divorced Maggie Bronstein (Melissa McCarthy) and her son Oliver move in next door. Zucko (Terrence Howard) is looking to collect debts from Vincent. Oliver gets picked on in school. Vincent wants to be paid for babysitting and they build a surprising friendship. Brother Geraghty (Chris O'Dowd) gives Oliver's class an assignment to determine if someone they know deserves a sainthood. Bill Murray is getting good at playing these grumpy characters. The little kid is good and cute but not too cutesy. Melissa McCarthy takes a nice simple dramatic turn. Naomi Watts should probably drop the Russian accent. I also love Chris O'Dowd's character. There are a couple of twists that I especially like. I like that Oliver makes friends with his bully. I also like that Oliver's father doesn't turn out to be evil. There are some good laughs. There are some sections where I feared that the movie would turn too sentimental. It does try hard to be a tear-jerker. The movie mostly succeeds in giving a great family of characters.