Sofia Coppola’s newest film “On the Rocks” is a lackluster production highlighted not by the main protagonist — Laura, portrayed by Rashida Jones — but by a character introduced later in the movie: her father, Felix, played by the ever-so-ageless Bill Murray. Felix, a Hugh Hefner inspiration with a Gatsby-esque wardrobe and a vintage Alfa Romeo convertible, is a semi-retired gallerist who embarks on a James Bondian mission to discover whether or not Laura’s husband, Dean, is having an affair with a coworker.

Laura, a successful author who is in her late 30s, is dealing with an identity crisis as she feels she is losing her youth as a mother and she has suspicions that her husband is cheating. Her interactions with the women her age, her dislike for her monotonous life, and the fact that she can’t seem to write anymore sets the tone that she is a disgruntled housewife that no longer belongs in New York City; she also struggles with the fact that she is no longer a newlywed and young woman. The typical signs of adultery are there, business trips and client dinners taking up more of her husband’s time than what she is accustomed to. She ends up asking Felix for advice, which is ironic considering Felix’s character is completely based on that he’s an unfaithful playboy who deserves to place in the conversation of marital talk.

The performance of Jones was underwhelming, but a decent one still at the least. She has an inability to truly convey emotion throughout most of the film, as she consistently looks either sad or disappointed aside from the ever so occasional smile and the one or two scenes where she has a teary moment However, the viewer cannot help but to empathize with Laura, as her character and acting really draw emotion and the ability to feel for her and her way-too-early midlife crisis.  The real star of the show was Murray, as he delivers an electric yet heartwarming performance of a father who truly cares for his daughter and who only wants the best for Laura. From suave encounters with any female in his sight to his ability to persuade —  whether it be Laura and getting her to accompany him to Mexico in order to track Dean or evading a speeding ticket after getting pulled over for racing in the streets of Manhattan. The classy, well dressed boozehound really captured the hearts and minds of the audience as his role and how Murray executed it really made the movie, no matter how selfish or flawed Felix is.

The movie itself is beautiful from a cinematography perspective, as all Coppola movies are, but overall it does not live up to her previous works such as “Marie Antoinette” (2006) or “The Beguiled” (2017). The romance of New York is also a heavy narrative as a weary attempt to be up to par with movies such as “When Harry Met Sally…” (1989) as it includes a jazzy soundtrack headlined by the likes of Chet Baker and Clark Terry. Whether or not this is Coppola’s attempt to create a romantic comedy, it falls short of whatever aspirations she had for this project. What this movie serves as is one of the typical coming of middle-age stories of finding identity as a woman, a purpose that might be encompassing enough to suffice for the lack in plot. Overall, “On the Rocks” is a good, not great movie with basic hardships that’s disappointingly typical. Jones and Murray do well enough to distract from the shallow plot, and the shots of the film itself are eye catching enough to forget that this might be Coppola’s worst.

Follow @nottchalamet
Follow @Q30Entertain