This month, Mick watched the 2014 comedy St. Vincent, starring Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy, and Naomi Watts.
To summarize this movie, it's basically a less depressing, less racially-charged Gran Torino. Instead of a curmudgeonly Clint Eastwood watching his neighborhood turn into a cesspool of crime and poverty, Bill Murray plays an old, curmudgeonly man named Vincent who is slowly turning his neighborhood into a cesspool of crime and poverty.
In spite of Vincent's many, many shortcomings, his new neighbor, a young boy named Oliver, sees Vincent's heart of gold. Vincent, in turn, teaches Oliver how to be a man by fighting bullies and gambling at the race track. While Vincent is without a doubt a piece of shit, Bill Murray toes the line wonderfully, making Vincent a complicated, but generally likable character.
The supporting cast does a great job to make Melissa McCarthy plays the straight woman perfectly, giving a believable performance of a put-upon mother at her wit's end. Naomi Watts adopts a Russian accent to play Vincent's "Lady of the Evening" companion. Chris O'Dowd (from the IT crowd) also plays a bit part as an Irish-Catholic priest to bring a bit of religious levity to the screen.
Not to downplay the great performances given by the players, the script is also fantastic. It's a blend of drama and comedy that will bring tears to your eyes in parts and make you laugh through the pain in others. St. Vincent isn't a goofball laugh a minute comedy that's gonna make you forget about all your troubles, but it will help you see the lighter side of things no matter how bad they get.
Give this movie a watch if you're in the mood for something light, but thoughtful.