On The Rocks Review: A Different Kind of Relationship Drama Movie

Release date: October 23, 2020
Running time: 100 minutes
Starring: Bill Murray, Rashida Jones, Marlon Wayans
Written and Directed by: Sofia Coppola

Laura (Rashida Jones) thinks she’s happily hitched, but when her husband Dean (Marlon Wayans) starts logging late hours at the office with a new co-worker, Laura begins to fear the worst. She turns to the one man she suspects may have insight: her charming, impulsive father Felix (Bill Murray), who insists they investigate the situation. As the two begin prowling New York at night, careening from uptown parties to downtown hotspots, they discover at the heart of their journey lies their own relationship.

On The Rocks feels like a very different movie because it is very different.  There is a focus on feelings and an openness to conversation that you normally do not see.  The film has an excellent cast in Jones, Wayans, and Murray.  Surprisingly, Murray feels like the weakest actor of the three, which we will get to later.  Jones and Wayans are fantastic as a married couple who are overwhelmed with work and children.  Jones pulls it off particularly well, looking noticeably tired and overburdened as she tries to care for her kids while also having a career.  And Wayans does a great job as a hard working dreamer hoping to build and row his business.  And the two have great chemistry together.  The story of this film is a slow to develop one, but it works for this movie.  Nothing is spoon fed to the viewer and there is a lot that is left unknown for the viewer to draw their own conclusions from.  This is a film that has mastered hinting at things without outright saying it, which makes the viewers feel like they are investigating the relationship along with Jones and Murray. 

But although this film does a lot right, it does have a few issues.  For one, Bill Murray is fun as a free spirited, ever flirtatious grandpa, but some of his lines and dialog feel very forced.  This happens a few times for Jones as well, but Murray is the biggest culprit.  Sometimes it feels like he is reading a script rather than performing, which I was shocked to hear.  Now, when he is on, he is perfect in this film, but it definitely felt like he was not showing his best a few times during this movie.  And the film also cast Jenny Slate but then didn't use her at all.  Her character just shows up occasionally as a stressed friend; a shame given how funny she can be.  And although the story develops slowly and leaves a lot of questions, the film does have some crazy sequences.  And although these can be fun, they also feel a little over the top and generally out of character for this film.  At some point I expected Jones to pull the rip cord but it didn't really happen.  And although the film does have a nice, unconventional ending and overall it does reverse a lot of the tropes with this genre, it feels like it could have been so much more.  It has great bones but just didn't fill out as well as I had hoped.

On The Rocks takes many of the tropes of this genre and turns them on their head, with an unconventional story, Bill Murray craziness, and great chemistry between Jones and Wayans. 

Rent it.

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Bruce Springsteen: Letter to You is available to stream on Apple TV+ starting October 23.