Film Review: "St. Vincent" (2014).

"With neighbours like these, who needs family?" This is St. Vincent. This comedy-drama film written and directed by Theodore Melfi, in his feature film debut. The film centres on Maggie, a struggling single woman who moves to Brooklyn with her twelve-year-old son, Oliver. Having to work very long hours, she has no choice but to leave Oliver in the care of Vincent, a bawdy misanthrope next door. Vincent takes Oliver along on his trips to the race track, strip club and dive bar, and an unlikely friendship is born. The man is a mentor to the boy in his hedonistic way, and Oliver sees the good in Vincent that no one else can.

In 2011, the script was written, and was eventually included on the Hollywood Black List (the best unproduced scripts) of 2011. Jack Nicholson was originally offered to star in the film, but he declined. But, in July 2012, Bill Murray signed on to play the title role. By early July 2013, Melissa McCarthy, Naomi Watts, Chris O'Dowd, Terrence Howard, and Jaeden Martell rounded out the film's cast. Watts originally thought she was reading the script for the role as Maggie (Oliver's mom) as it was more similar to her actual personality. Watts would go on to stay in character during filming even when she wasn't shooting in order to protect herself from feeling insecure around Murray. At the same time, with a budget of $13 million, principal photography commenced, and took place throughout New York. In late December, Theodore Shapiro was hired to score the film.

The film stars Murray, McCarthy, Watts, O'Dowd, Howard, and Martell. Though his character is seriously disturbed, Murray acquits himself admirably. But his charm isn't enough to make up for the film's jarring shifts between crude humour and mawkish sentimentality. Though Murray possesses an innocence that makes the mean-spiritedness inherent in much of his work surprisingly palatable. There's no doubt Murray is talented, but if he persists in believing that, like Elvis, his presence alone covers a multitude of omissions and inconsistencies, he will squander his gift and make a series of forgettable films in the process.

Amiable, schizoid and disposable, St. Vincent is just as formulaic as you might imagine. Worst of all is the way Melfi and Murray wants to have it both ways: to muck around in gross-out humor one minute and then turn schmaltzy the next minute with some fraudulent business about how much he loves the kid. It's not one of Murray's best films, but not one of his worst either. The film is somewhat a step forward for Murray, as well as a strategy to expand his audience. While the loyal male-teen audience core will not be disappointed with the spate of gags just for them, story contains solid date-movie material. This light yet earnest comedy-drama starring Murray deals openly with one of the most insidious elements in popular filmmaking - the male screenwriter's relationship with a father figure. Funny-sweet, understand, not bleccchh sweet.

Simon says St. Vincent receives: