St Vincent (2014)
Certified: 12A
Duration: 102 minutes
Directed by: Theodore Melfi
Starring: Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy, Jaeden Liebherr, Naomi Watts, Chris O’Dowd, Kimberly Quinn, Donna Mitchell, Terrence Howard, Dario Barosso, Ray Iannicelli, Scott Adsit
KRS Releasing Ltd

War veteran Vincent (Bill Murray) is one of those people whom everyone steers away from due to his bawdy attitude.

The people who do frequent him include the likes of racetrack bookkeeper Zucko (Terrence Howard), but this only due to the gambling debts that have been accrued by Vincent and Daka (Naomi Watts), a pregnant stripper and prostitute who gets paid by Vincent for her services.

Vincent lives on his own but he is married; this marriage is providing him with plenty of cash issues, among other problems.

But new neighbours will change his life. Single mother Maggie (Melissa McCarthy) and her son Oliver (Jaeden Liebherr) have been through a lot and Maggie hopes that Oliver will find the right guidance from the Catholic school he attends.

Oliver is having trouble with Robert Ocinski (Dario Barosso), one of the bullies at school, even though Fr Geraghty (Chris O’Dowd) takes him under his wing.

At one point, Oliver ends up locked out of the house and spends some time at Vincent’s, who opts to start babysitting Oliver for the right compensation. The presence of the boy will not only change Vincent but also turn Oliver into a different boy.

St Vincent showcases several elements: Murray in a career-defining performance, McCarthy in a welcome performance that is totally different from what we are now expecting her to play, and a coming-of-age element that is not limited by the age factor.

Here it is the adult who seems to be doing the growing up. Murray, in this role that was at one point destined for Jack Nicholson, is exquisite in his utmost cynical manner. Here he does not simply deliver a layer of detached apathy that has become his trademark, but instead fills the screen with a very unusual kind of energy.

Here it is the adult who seems to be doing the growing up

Young Liebherr does not endanger Murray’s performance, but serves well as the catalyst for the various transformations that occur in the movie. This is a new face that fits well and naturally into the film.

McCarthy provides depth and her supporting performance is one of value that shows that she is quite the hidden gem when it comes to acting. It’s very easy to stereotype her into the over-the-top comedy roles, but in this single-mother role she displays several sensitivities.

Watts as the pregnant stripper complete with Russian accent is also one of the film’s treasures. O’Dowd as the Catholic school teacher is simply hilarious and deserved more screen time.

Ted Melfi makes his debut as a director and delivers a film that plays on several staples of the US independent movie. He structures the film around Murray and places several layers of sentimentality, antipathy and weariness, allimbued with a tangible sense of energy.

One gets the feeling that Melfi left Murray plenty of leeway to improvise and give his slant on what he wanted from him, and this gives the central performance a bigger and more tangible heart. This in itself is something that is not usually associated with Murray, but it fits him so well.