Review
ON THE ROCKS. Competent Feel-good Movie
Coppola knows the genre’s rules and history, and in On the Rocks dresses a story about a woman uncertain of her husband’s fidelity in sensational trappings.
Refreshing old acquaintances to track down a target’s last known whereabouts. A city chase in a rickety convertible. A change of identity. International flights. Is spy cinema trying to conquer streaming? Hardly! It’s simply that Sofia Coppola knows the genre’s rules and history, and dresses a story about a woman uncertain of her husband’s fidelity in flashy, sensational trappings. On the Rocks.
The counterpart to a seasoned secret agent is, in this case, the main character’s father, Felix, played by the ever-reliable Bill Murray. His target: his daughter’s husband (Marlon Wayans). Or rather their marriage, since a series of strange coincidences has led the young mother Laura (Rashida Jones) to suspect that her husband is cheating on her. Parent and child join forces for a few nights to find irrefutable proof of his misdeeds (or lack thereof), which gives them an excuse to slip through a long list of New York restaurants and residences, as well as take a trip to another country. And as is often the case, a literal journey is accompanied by a metaphorical one.
Where does the father’s certainty about his son-in-law’s infidelity come from? The answer is simple—it stems from male nature. As he “scientifically” explains, men are genetically ill-suited to having only one woman in their lives and sooner or later are bound to indulge in a proverbial side step. What’s more, Felix even finds explanations for why they choose women of a particular age group or appearance—so you can imagine the older gentleman’s views on the matter.
Despite his years, he doesn’t deny himself the occasional innocent flirt, resulting in casual exchanges with waitresses, much to Laura’s embarrassment. We can hardly blame the women for reacting positively to the old man’s advances—hey, after all, it’s Bill Murray! The actor feels perfectly at home in the role, helped of course by the fact that it seems (and I have no doubt it is) written specifically for him. He is the film’s soul, humor, and charisma, while the rest of the cast merely echoes his performance.
Yet even Murray’s charm wouldn’t amount to much if the dialogue creaked with wooden stiffness (the best proof being the film The Dead Don’t Die). Fortunately, Coppola is a talented writer who not only makes the lines sound natural but also genuinely funny. The lightness of On the Rocks is felt in every minute, even when the story veers toward more sentimental tones—these are quickly undercut so our hearts don’t have time to cool before the next wave of warmth.
Although one might think that a story about suspected infidelity would mainly serve as a springboard for turbulent drama and life reassessment, the filmmaker flips the proportions—here, comedy takes center stage.
From the very first minute, there’s no doubt that the film’s ambitions aren’t particularly lofty. Coppola is aiming for a competent feel-good movie, something to put on late at night and then go to sleep with a broad smile afterward. Is that a bad thing? Quite the opposite! For our times, it feels perfectly suited, because its escapist potential allows us, if only for a moment, to forget the problems of everyday life.
New York’s nightlife, elegant venues, expensive jewelry, simple and accessible symbolism, elements of spy cinema and buddy comedy, and for dessert—monologues by an intrusive friend whom no one really listens to anyway. Coppola’s recipe is straightforward: combine well-liked ingredients into a tasty whole. And since she’s a talented filmmaker with many films under her belt, she achieves the desired effect with ease.
One could complain that the director is squandering her talent, that there’s too little drama here, that Laura’s character clearly yields to the male protagonists—but I can’t agree with that. The story’s punchline is brilliant in its simplicity: Felix’s methods of solving problems can remain in the past, because today it’s enough to simply talk to someone. He can wax lyrical about every attribute of masculinity, but when it comes time to talk about feelings, he’s clearly at a loss for words. And so, alongside spy cinema, light comedy, and a gentle drama about the parent–child relationship, Coppola delivers yet another film—one about the value of conversation.
