In the past 10 years, Bill Murray has jumped on the few chances he's had to show off his dramatic side, of which is always imbued with a comedic edge. Broken Flowers almost meets Lost In Translation's match. Hyde Park on Hudson will be swept under the rug. Now with St. Vincent, he's gruffer and grouchier than usual, almost unrecognisable at first. Murray is terrific as Vincent, and approaches the character's many facets with tenderness. It's unfortunate that Theodore Melfi's writing and direction doesn't put in the same effort. It feels like a text-book character study film with not enough honesty in it. It's stilted and contrived at every punchline. Sharp without the wit, outside of Murray. It's difficult to swallow its premise of trying to call Vincent a saint since it's never earned. However, it's a pleasant and breezy enough film, with a solid performance from Melissa McCarthy. It's just a shame the execution is so uninitiated.
6/10
6/10