On the Rocks (2020) Movie Review
On the Rocks is the latest from writer and director Sofia Coppola. It has a relatively short runtime of about 95 minutes, which is the perfect amount of time for this dramedy. Laura (Rashida Jones) is a writer who also happens to be a wife and a mother of two. She and her husband Dean (Marlon Wayans), have hit a lull in their marriage. Dean is very engrossed in his work, which is vaguely referenced to as some sort of start up that focuses on social media. Laura takes care of their two daughters and the first few scenes of the movie revolve around Laura toting the kids around through the city of New York.
Early on, Laura begins to have a sneaking suspicion that Dean might be cheating on her with one of his co-workers. This suspicion is further strengthened by input from her father, Felix (Bill Murray). Felix is one of those likeable, unlikeable men who has a history of flitting from woman to woman with some glaringly obvious moments of overlap. He and Laura have a complicated relationship because of Felix’s habit of cheating, particularly on Laura’s mother. Despite the fact that Felix is a womanizer of the worst kind (he’s constantly hitting on every woman in the movie, regardless of their age) he’s funny and has that easy going nature of a guy who is wealthy and doesn’t have all that many concerns.
Together, he and Laura begin to do recon work on Dean. Felix has him followed and uses his many connections to get the scoop on what he’s been up to. He gives Laura somewhat helpful advice but ultimately steers her in the wrong direction. To Coppola’s credit, she does an excellent job of walking a thin line when it comes to Dean. She gives him enough sneaky behavior to warrant Laura’s suspicions without giving anything away. Wayans does a remarkable job presenting as a likeable guy, who makes the most of his small screen time. Coppola explores some interesting themes including the jumbled mess of married life, a father-daughter relationship, trust issues, and insecurities. But she doesn’t dive too deep into any one topic to explore it fully.
Jones sticks with her usual role of the “straight-man” and does quite well. Playing opposite Murray’s flirty and smooth talking charms means that she spends most of her time being slightly irritated at his antics. Murray steals the show here, making Felix reprehensible while somehow also coming across as an engaging guy. There’s a lot to delve into with Felix and the way he treats the women in his life. But the one that takes up most of the movie is his interaction with Laura. By the end of the movie you can see that he loves Laura, even if he isn’t quite sure how to express it. They have one or two heart to hearts where Felix attempts to explain why he does what he does, but Coppola is sure to include a heavy dose of rebuke from Laura.
On the Rocks is a nice little movie from Coppola. Not her best work but certainly not her worst. If you want a short, entertaining movie about the complexities of relationships with a dash of comedy, then On the Rocks is for you.
Film or Movie: Movie
You’ll like this movie if:
1. You like Bill Murray
2. You like seeing father-daughter relationships
3. You don’t need to laugh out loud to enjoy comedic moments
