Starting in middle school and continuing on through most of high school, I created a movie review website. I worked at a movie theater for two and a half years, which included the perk of going to movies for free. So, I figured that since I loved movies and I loved writing, it'd be pure gold to combine them and start writing movie reviews!
Looking back, most of my titles were incredibly corny, and my writing needed a lot of help, but hey, I guess it's all part of the learning and growing and living process, right? I stopped writing them when I stopped having time to see movies every weekend, but since I'm in a sentimental and nostalgic mood, I thought I'd take some time to review a phenomenal movie that came out this past weekend, and one that I believe deserves to be spotlighted.Bill Murray stars in "St. Vincent" as the title character, a grouchy old man who lives by himself and spends way too much time drinking, smoking, and gambling at the horse races. Melissa McCarthy plays Maggie, a single mother trying to raise her young boy, Oliver (Jaeden Lieberher) as best as she can with a consistently time-consuming job. They move in next door to Vincent, and when push comes to shove at Maggie's job, she asks Vince to babysit Oliver each day after school.
From here on out, it's not the most unpredictable movie. Vince and Oliver start up an at first uneasy friendship that involves quite a bit of irresponsible decisions (mostly on Vincent's behalf), but also a whole lot of good. While it'd be incredibly easy for Oliver to push Vincent away after several encounters and label him as 'that mean old guy next door,' he doesn't, and he continues to push to see the light in Vincent's heart, the small, often subtle bits of kindness and care that slip out for those that pay attention.
So many critics have rolled their eyes at the film for its predictable storyline and the fact that Vincent eventually does tone down his rough edges and start showing kindness to others (in his gruff, unique sort of way). And yes, it's not that hard to predict where the movie will go from the opening scene. But here's the thing that did it for me - while the story itself may be predictable and cliche, the characters are not. Every single character in here is flawed and messy and struggling in different ways.
Vincent is terribly rude to almost everyone at first (not to mention his over indulgence in alcohol, smoking, and gambling). Maggie is just barely getting by after her divorce and a looming battle for custody with her ex on the horizon. Oliver faces bullying at school, and also the fact that not only is his dad now absent from his life, but his mom isn't much more present with her hectic work schedule. Naomi Watts plays a pregnant Russian prostitute named Daka who visits Vincent several times a week. Even she struggles to find her way, to make money, take care of a child and find something resembling 'home.' No one here starts out perfect, and no one here ends up perfect by the closing credits. These characters wrestle and struggle and fight with each other all the way through, but when push comes to shove (as it does several times throughout the film), it's striking to me how quickly this unlikely group of misfits bands together and works as a team to lift each other up.
My dad said it reminded him of the Church, or how the Church is supposed to be. For the body of Christ is more than just a weekly meeting in a building, but a tapestry of grace and love and kindness woven throughout the inner depths of people's lives. It's the every day things, the meals together and the late night talks, the rushed trips to the hospital and the giving of money when funds are tight. It's the trips together and the drives together, the screaming fights and the bursting-at-the-seams laughter that won't slow down.
"St. Vincent" portrays this kind of community in a raw, and so very human light, where the characters rarely have it all together, but continue to show up in each other's lives in spite of it all. I left the film feeling so encouraged, as it didn't pretend everyone was A-OK or fixed by the end credits, nor did it leave me with all of the answers. It left plenty of loose ends in the character's lives and hearts, much like real life, where growth isn't often an overnight or sudden flame, but a gradual, embers-like presence that expands slowly, with time. While these characters are so easy to judge and look down upon based on their actions and mistakes, "St. Vincent" is constantly tearing down our assumptions and stereotypes to show the good in everyone's hearts, the light that never fully gets covered up by the dark spots.
For as Oliver says toward the end of the film, even saints are human, too.
In light of my previous posts on showing up, this movie felt like the perfect one to spotlight on my blog, as it fits so well with the themes I've been discussing. Every single cast member delivers a knock-out performance that really got me to feel the character and his/her struggles. Melissa McCarthy gets a chance to break out of her typical comedy role as the serious and stressed Maggie, and Naomi Watts gets a chance to break out of her typical drama role as the comical and ridiculous Daka. Not to mention Jaeden Lieberher, who may be one of the finest child actors I've seen in a long time. This is Theodore Melfi's first time writing and directing a film, and he handles everything with gracefulness and poise, keeping the plot on enough of a roller-coaster that I never stayed sad or happy or laughing for too long.
This isn't a family film, as evidenced by the PG-13 rating. There is a fair amount of profanity, drinking, smoking, gambling and implied sex. Like I said, the characters are messy, and Melfi isn't afraid to show that. This is a gritty and raw comedy-drama, and while it's not for everyone, I couldn't recommend it enough. See it not only to laugh (which you will hopefully do), but to think and to pray and to struggle and to maybe even cry. This film is real, and it's powerful.
But don't take my word for it. See it for yourself! And let me know what you think!
No comments:
Post a Comment