St. Vincent

This film is recommended.

The old curmudgeon has been a screen staple from Lionel Barrymore to Walter Matthau to Jack Nicholson. Yet no one has played this type of character so well these many years as Bill Murray. Even as a young man, the actor brought with him that droll view of life, a wicked acerbic wit, and a unique ironic humor to his many film roles from Ghostbusters to Scrooge to Lost in Translation. So his portrayal in St. Vincent may not be much of a stretch for the actor, but it is wildly captivating performance that needs to been seen.

Yes, the story is far from original. Crotchety old man finds love and redemption by the love of a young kid who he befriends begrudgingly. Vincent is a drunk and a gambler. Yet, his new neighbor, Maggie (a subtle and convincing Melissa McCarthy), hires him to babysit her son, Oliver (Jaeden Lieberher), while she is at work making ends meet. Now right there, one questions the entire sit-com set-up and implausible story of the film, but one goes along with the preposterous notion for sheer entertainment purposes.

Placing Mr. Murray in that pivotal role is the force that binds this story together. He is both charming and repulsive in this part and the actor is an absolute comic delight. Vincent's the man-child, a boy who never grew up, a loner who survives from day to day and Murray nails his character. His droll asides when taking his young charge to a bar or racetrack, or cavorting with strippers and other unsavory persons are key to the film's enjoyment, as is his wonderful chemistry with Master Lieberger, who gives a natural and lovely performance as a child who seems to have more common sense than any of the adults in this film.

St. Vincent is an auspicious film debut by director/ writer Theodore Melfi. While his initial premise is spotty, the filmmaker more than acquits himself with his funny script and fine casting. Rounding out this wonderful trio of actors are Chris O'Dowd, Terrence Howard, and especially Naomi Watt as a Russian call girl with a heart of platinum. The entire ensemble delivers their lines with brutal accuracy and delicious comic timing, even if the film leads to a rather mawkish and sappy ending that some may find to be poignant. One just can't help relishing in the overall fun.

Technically, Melfi needs to learn more restraint as a director. He tends to overuse pop songs to reinforce his message and overdoes many scenes with melodramatic spurts. As a writer, he creates effective dialog mixed with one-liners that, at least, stay true to his well-written characters. But his plot structure is too conventional and simple in every sense of the word. He may easily achieved his goal in making a crowd-pleasing film, even if it lays on the pathos a bit thickly. And from the reaction of the moviegoers in my audience, the film scored highly amid the audible aahs and sniffles to my left and right. It doesn't merely tug at the heartstrings, it plays two part harmony too.

In truth, St. Vincent owes so much of its success to a small blessing known as Mr. Murray. It is his compelling presence that is the main attraction on display, and on that, everybody can rejoice! GRADE: B

Bill Murray shows his acting range in this film by playing a despicable human being that you can't help but to like, as Vincent, an angry old man who takes on the job of a babysitter to his new neighbor's young son in order to make some extra cash he surely needs.

Melissa McCartney, who plays the neighbor is also in the movie. I love McCartney, but it was obvious from the start that this is Big Bill's show and he's leading this dance, while Melissa and Naomi Watts, who also stars in the film are just tools to move the story along. A task any actress could have done, but having Naomi and Melissa makes the movie better to market.

I wish I got more laughs for McCartney, but like I said, this is totally Bill's ride, and it was a good one.

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 stripper 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.

This movie is a touching story. It is about a boy who befriends a crusty curmudgeon in Vincent (Bill Murray) and discovers some facts of life. But the deeper story is that family is really the friends you choose and the wide cast of misfits are brought together by a mix of circumstances and events. They are lost but then are found. The story also showcases the lost heroes of Vietnam. These veterans are dying off and as a nation we have forgotten their contributions in this senseless war. The boy is the glue to the cast and he bridges the gap from the wide differences between the characters. I would highly recommend if and is sure to conjure up a tear or too. A real good feel movie that shows how saints are everywhere, everyday, check out St. Vincent. Bill Murray is a masterful actor that becomes the character,