On The Rocks movie review by Movie Review Mom

MOVIE TITLE: On The Rocks AVAILABLE ONLY ON APPLE + TV on October 23, 2020

RATING: R

LENGTH: 1 hour, 36 minutes

Movie Review Mom GRADE: B-

IN A NUTSHELL:

Director Sofia Coppola reunites with Oscar nominee Bill Murray, after working together on Lost in Translation. When Sofia Coppola was working on the script for that movie, Rashida Jones was one of the students who helped her practice by playing the role of Charlotte. Charlotte’s role ended up going to Scarlett Johansson.

As a woman writer and director, she’s able to get inside the head of a female protagonist, but what she also does really well in this film is offer the male perspective in this father/daughter combo.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Some profanity, including F-bombs.
A crude clip of Chris Rock’s stand-up comedy shown on a TV
Mention of a “French 76” (alcoholic drink)

THEMES:

Infidelity in marriage, trust
Parenting
Female empowerment
Truly seeing people
“We all just want to be loved.” – (Bill Murray)
Self-doubt
Communication
Balancing work, marriage, and motherhood

THINGS I LIKED:

It takes 20 minutes before you see father and daughter together in the same scene. As soon as Bill Murray shows up on the screen, the magic happens. Bill Murray is magic. Both his character and Rashida Jones’ seem to come alive. Have you ever seen that show on Netflix about how Bill Murray pulls good pranks on people? Watching it will make you want to be a more fun-loving, spontaneous person like he is, both in real life and how his character is in the movie. My own father is like that and I’ve always wished I could be more like him too.
I really like Jenny Slate. Her cute voice is perfect for the animated movies she’s done, but she’s also great as a “real” person. She was adorable in Zootopia (DVD). In this movie, she’s a great visual representation of the kind of friend to NOT be. Take note. Don’t be the kind of friend who only talks about yourself.
I thought it was cute when the dad entered a building and saw a woman exit. He cheerfully said, “Oh my gosh do you look beautiful!” Just so you’re not worried about that, he did it in a friendly, supportive way rather than a creepy-uncle way.
I always love it when one of the leading ladies is New York City.
The story feels real in its look at the complexities of relationships.
Beautiful cinematography.
Entertaining dialogue at times.
Intriguing movie poster.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

Cliched ending.
Some of the dialogue seems absolutely unrealistic.
I loved Marlon Wayans in the movie White Chicks. He is so much more talented and versatile than what he was allowed to show in this movie.
I don’t think I laughed out loud during the entire movie. A lot of the humor missed the mark for me.
The film goes back and forth between a dramatic and comedic tone.
I like to write insightful lines that I find in a movie, but I didn’t really find anything worth noting.
Mostly forgetful.

FUNNY LINES: