St. Vincent

Bill Murray shows his acting range in this film by playing a despicable human being that you can't help but to like, as Vincent, an angry old man who takes on the job of a babysitter to his new neighbor's young son in order to make some extra cash he surely needs.

Melissa McCartney, who plays the neighbor is also in the movie. I love McCartney, but it was obvious from the start that this is Big Bill's show and he's leading this dance, while Melissa and Naomi Watts, who also stars in the film are just tools to move the story along. A task any actress could have done, but having Naomi and Melissa makes the movie better to market.

I wish I got more laughs for McCartney, but like I said, this is totally Bill's ride, and it was a good one.

BY RYAN C. SHOWERS

If you have seen the trailers for "St. Vincent", you probably think avoiding it at all costs is the best option with the film's release. The judgmental thoughts I had with the previews were: recycled storyline, serious actors taking "lesser" roles, and award season junk. But that really wonderful thing happened to me while watching "St. Vincent" where all my preconceived notions dissolve and the film revealed proffers an sweepingly enjoyable time at the movies. It looks like every area of the film could be a disaster, but mostly everything in the new comedy moves fluidly.

Three or four times, "St. Vincent" really stumbles, completely misfiring an already risky move. The first of these blunders is when Vincent fights a group of punks bullying Oliver in an alley-- even the trite set-up of the scene sounds like its asking for criticism. The whole screenplay has a sense of predictability, but director Theodore Melfi makes your see past the stale clichés and reminds you why audiences were so moved by these overused plot devices for years and years. (Melfi's directing is well completed, shooting and editing the film adequately.) Accepting the screenplay's banal set-up will allow you to see the acutely written dialogue in "St. Vincent". The film's climatic pay-off is the best example of vigorously written, directed, and acted dialogue through a speech recited by Oliver.

A selling point for any comedy could be the ability to make the viewer really laugh. Not giggle, not smile from the film's cleverness, but an erupting, uncontrollable laughter that captures your mind in bliss. Time after time, "St. Vincent" made me laugh like this, out loud. It runs the gambit over all methods of comedy: physical gags, one-liners, banter between actors, situational comedy, and awkward moments. The actors and execution are responsible for creating comedy where there may not have been any to begin with, yes, I'm looking at you, Naomi Watts.

At first sight, Watts made me laugh to myself thinking, "Man, 'Diana' really did a number on her career options, huh?", but the more Watts got to flesh out the character, the more she made me chuckle, and the more I saw her commitment to the obnoxious role. She throws herself into territory where she usually does not trend, as does her co-supporting actress Melissa McCarthy. McCarthy gives the performance with the most value, cranking this character out of the park. She radiates her dramatic talents to extents only hinted at in her more serious roles like Sookie in "Gilmore Girls". Get McCarthy out of films like "Tammy" and "The Heat", and let her pursue roles in which she can create a real person, like she does here.

Bill Murray has been the actor hailed by critics and the selling point of the picture, and he brings exactly what you would expect he would bring to the role: perfect comedic timing, a faultless empathy to the scumbag, and movie star strength to carry the project. But who brings a movie star power more than anyone is newcomer Jaeden Lieberher, who transcends past typical annoying children archetypes.

"St. Vincent" is a sweet, lovable film that grows on you with each passing laugh. It's the most I have shamelessly laughed at the cinema all year.

* * * 1/2 / * * * *

This movie is a touching story. It is about a boy who befriends a crusty curmudgeon in Vincent (Bill Murray) and discovers some facts of life. But the deeper story is that family is really the friends you choose and the wide cast of misfits are brought together by a mix of circumstances and events. They are lost but then are found. The story also showcases the lost heroes of Vietnam. These veterans are dying off and as a nation we have forgotten their contributions in this senseless war. The boy is the glue to the cast and he bridges the gap from the wide differences between the characters. I would highly recommend if and is sure to conjure up a tear or too. A real good feel movie that shows how saints are everywhere, everyday, check out St. Vincent. Bill Murray is a masterful actor that becomes the character,

There is a school of film reviewing which suggests that a film is like a symphony, to review it, don't bother with minutiae, just listen for a false or off-key note, and deduct points accordingly.

By that approach, this film would be a 10 because there are no false notes.

And it is really that good.

The key to these sorts of films is trust your script, trust your actors, and trust the director to simply to give them lead and let them run. Which is precisely what we have here.

The iconic Bill Murray gives his most memorable performance since MEATBALLS -- which, BTW, launched the entire Canadian film industry -- even though it is not actually a comic role. Impressive.

Naomi Watts give her most memorable performance since MULHULLAND DRIVE where, as a glowing young ingénue, she stole scene after scene. She steals here too.

Even Melissa McCarthy, who many consider a scenery-chewer and over-the-top, is wonderfully restrained and actually creates an empathetic character.

Delightful.

The grumpy and unpleasant Vincent (Bill Murray) is a veteran Vietnam sergeant completely broken that gambles in horse races and owes money to the shark Zucko (Terrence Howard). He is a regular client of the stripper Daka (Naomi Watts) that is closed to him. When the CT operator Maggie (Melissa McCarthy) moves with her son Oliver (Jaeden Lieberher) to the next-door house, Vincent offers to babysit him to make money. Maggie, who is facing a divorce process, accepts and soon Vincent finds that Oliver is bullied at school. He teaches the boy how to defend himself; he takes him to visit Sandy (Donna Mitchell) in a nursing home; and to go to the horse races and bars. Soon they become friends and partners. When Brother Geraghty (Chris O'Dowd ) asks his students to prepare a lecture about a saint, Oliver learns the life of Vincent and understands his behavior.

"St. Vincent" is an entertaining dramatic comedy with great characters and dialogs. Bill Murray is very funny with his behavior and lines. Jaeden Lieberher seems to be a promising actor with magnificent performance in his debut. Naomi Watts and Melissa McCarthy complete the lead cast with also wonderful performances. It is impossible to highlight the best moments of this film. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Um Santo Vizinho" ("A Holy Neighbor")