ST. VINCENT   3.3 ***

 

       Bill Murray plays a cantankerous old man named Vincent who forms an endearing friendship with his new preteen neighbor Oliver (played by Jaeden Lieberher). Vincent is a chain-smoking, alcoholic Vietnam veteran who gambles at the racetrack, is in deep debt, and enjoys the company of a pregnant Russian prostitute/stripper named Daka (played by Naomi Watts). When Oliver's mother, Maggie (Melissa McCarthy), is forced to work late hours to make ends meet, Vincent offers to babysit Oliver for a modest fee (in order to pay his various debts).During their time spent together, Vincent attempts to teach the mild-mannered and polite Oliver a thing or two about the real world while Oliver, through his childhood innocence, starts to break down some of the crotchetiness of Vincent.  

 

Bill Murray obviously steals the show and further demonstrates his incredible range of acting, but not without a few supporting one-liners from McCarthy and Watts. Chris O'Dowd also delivers a good supporting role as Brother Geraghty , Oliver’s teacher at his Catholic school.  And  Jaeden Lieberher as Oliver,  delivers a fine performance and demonstrates real chemistry with Murray on screen.

St. Vincent works because although it is designed to give us a positive message, it never overdoes it. It has salty language, some questionable characters, and people have flaws, but it also has a positive heart that doesn't quit, and it's willing to laugh at itself and lets us in. It doesn't merely tug at the heartstrings, it plays two-part harmony with it..

 

Rated PG-13 for mature  material including some sexual content, alcohol and tobacco use, and for language…but it is a “soft” PG-13.

 

Clark