REVIEW: ON THE ROCKS

 

5/5

Lost In New York. 

96 Mins. Starring: Bill Murray, Rashida Jones, Marlon Wayans, Jessica Henwick & Jenny Slate. Director: Sofia Coppola. 

Fairytales in New York are reunited like very Murray, snowy 'Scrooged' Christmas nights or Tokyo in translation, as Sofia Coppola and Bill Murray get back together again like a hotel reservation. It's love 'On The Rocks' with a twist however, as this time Bill isn't falling in a May to December love with a pre-Avenging Scarlett Johansson. Instead he has a far deeper one for the amazing actress who has been stepping out of her musical father Quincy's shadow since the very year 'Lost In Translation' came out, Rashida Jones. And like the man who produced 'Thriller' for the record, Bill is playing pops here too. "He thinks your my girlfriend" he says to Rashida about a waiter,  also later correcting cops who think she's his "lady friend". This old playboy is very flattered but plays with it for a laugh like Coppola who knows she'll be copping all kinds of prejudging critics remarks...can't you see we just corrected ourselves too? In a wedding dress with Jason Schwartzmen, Miss Jones made a classic cameo in 'A Very Murray Christmas' when Bill again gave her almost jilted bride marriage AND love advice...because you best believe they are two very different sides of the same coin. But now the two are in matrimony with the storytelling streets of NYC themselves that haven't looked this Parisian romantic since we hitched a ride with Will Smith's date doctor. And some medical assistance for the heart of matters is needed in prescription here too. Hightailing in a Hepburn automobile from the back of a yellow cab to the cobbled streets of the hip Meatpacking District, with still enough time for Breakfast at Tiffany's. Neon nights illuminated the Scarlett love in Tokyo for this writers all-time favourite movie in 'Translation' and the very catalyst at 21 years of age to why I am now living in Japan a decade later. But before that it was all big city, Big Apple dreams like Sinatra and the lights of Times Square. Times change like people. Playboys become parents. However, when it comes to oddball amazing actors mind-aside from maybe Jeff Goldblum-nobody does it like Bill's way. Nobody else like the 'Groundhog Day' actor could come back to that role for a Jeep Superbowl commercial this year and actually make it sweet and fun and not sold out and crass (OK...they did a great job with ET too. So much so and with so much class tact I can't even remember the commercial product...I think it was a phone, obviously). This is why the third times the charm for the real cinematic love between him and Sofia. There's a little more grey in the hair, but that just means the heart is still there. Planting a real loving kiss on your forehead again like he's about to whisper something sweetly inaudible in your ear that people are still talking about to this day. Clasping to the very "what did he say" nostalgic notion of this nuance. Checking in and out, between Tokyo's Park Hyatt (that yes I made it Suntory times with, back in the day with an old girlfriend that shared the same name as Scarlett's character) and New York's classic Carlyle Hotel. Snowed in like we all have been this year frozen in time during this lockdown of COVID-19 quarantine. So with that in mind and you never far off ours, here's to you as we raise a glass with two ice cubes to a year that's truly been on the rocks. 

Sofia's cinematic choices compel some of her trademark traditions with this five star classic like 'Lost In Translation' for a remade 'Beguiling' and legendary director that's just getting better and better. A Terrence Malik, Paul Thomas or other Murray muse Wes Anderson director that some may dislike, but others just love in art form, off-Hollywood canvas. Especially in concert with the jazzy Bill, who even has his own orchestrated album. You didn't just think it was the Rat Pack  (you know, "Rat Pack"?) like variety show with Clooney at Christmas now did you? This is a man who can make monumental, mesmerizing moments out of music move you by the way he just plays it. Just like the fond time he heard his kids surprise sing on a yuletide vinyl during the war of a by George 'Catch-22' like 'Oceans' military ensemble assemble. Take a bite out of this Apple TV core choice which will have you signing and streaming up like it was Netflix or a Disney Plus in its prime like Amazon. As this one shows us more in conjuction with A24 that that indie studio really has in just a few years become the best one in the industry. From under the sheet classics like 'A Ghost Story', to out of the envelope Academy (finally) acclaimed classics like 'Moonlight' in what's now their rising kingdom. And that's just two of too many to count right now. They may end up having their own A-list streaming service before long that you could still watch 24 hours at a time. This movie has all the heartfelt, hallmark moments. Visionary, shimmering late night moments in hotel pools. Married couples on the edge of trying to flint create a spark out of the empty spaces between a rock and a hard place. Endearing airheads that still just get in the way as they don't even know it. Waiting adventure that tries to crash through writers block as waiting cars with the best driver are set to whisk you away with the dial tuned radio playing pop that punctuates this engaging enthusiasm. And isn't that the same disinterested person on the phone offering at least a little bit more advice to Rashida than she did a 'Lost' Scarlett longing and looking out at the Shinjuku skyline from her culture aftershocked penthouse prison? Is this a vocal cameo from Sofia, messing with us? Of course no Murray movie with Coppola is complete without the song and tao of the charismatic Bill who if its possible is even more charming here as soon as the "hello kiddo" car window rolls down with another story to add to his book before he rides off into the sky scraping sunset. Now just wait until he breaks into multiple...MULTIPLE songs (which we won't hymn sheet spoil) like his yearning Tokyo karaoke bar take with friends on Roxy Music's 'More Than This' for Scarlett's Charlotte, or the time he headphone sang along to Bob Dylan's 'Shelter From The Storm' in the garden whilst spraying some flags in 'St. Vincent'. All atmospherically playing and dancing like 'Aloha' over subtly sonic soundtrack selections that are indie music Spotify cool, just like honey. 

Murray is magnificent the moment his adolescent father first backseat window pops into frame, 18 minutes into the movie after some vocal teasing. From incorrigibly becoming an encyclopedia on the history of love (because he's been through 'em like been through' em) like the "human head weighs eight pounds" kid from Jerry Maguire went through adolescence. To charming cops ("the trying's the best part") pulled over like Al Pacino's 'Scent Of A Woman'...that's one way to get out of a ticket like Coppola's fellow 'Godfather' trois co-star. Reminding us in this year of distrust that we all need a mild madcap mannered man like Murray to diffuse all our coiled tensions. All whilst flirting with everyone and everything inbetween from the restaurant to the ballet class. Even the forks...as this man tunes up his charming, but never creepy game. Sniffing flowers like I do a box of tea. Still scene stealing at seventy. We just hope his Felix character name is a rascals nod to 'Garfield' like his classic post-credit cameo in last years 'Zombieland: Double Tap' sequel.Yet doing the heavy lifting, this is Rashida's movie. Showing out in hip-hop pyjamas from the Beastie Boys to Run DMC as cool as the time Rene Russo rocked a Lakers one in the rude awakening, first scene of Elmore Leonard's 'Get Shorty' with Gene Hackman and John Travolta. Easter Egg enough for this actress as New York as manhole covers to start a drinking game if we ever see some De La Soul threads three feet high and rising. And when this mystery, Sherlock detects it's way to a game afoot in Mexico, the cocktail dress morning after camera captures with the sun waking up should soon do the rounds on the Twitter account turned Netflix show in production, 'One Perfect Shot'. But it's more than just the aesthetic in this stars amazing direction. Just like the look on it face says it all for this actors award turning moment that crescendos in a stirring drop of a Martini glass as this shaken soul gets her 007 on with no time to die for all those whose James Bond was Roger Moore. Still it's more than just the love between Murray and Jones even if this movie shows that sometimes there is no greater love in a woman's life than the one with the man who will give her hand away. Even if he is the type to tap your boyfriends phone or give him the old Dad talk on your doorstep in grand grimacing gesture using as few words as he can. Marlon Wayans knows all about that. And the 'Scary Movie' and 'White Chicks' star who has been maturing since 'GI Joe' of all things gives a career best turn here that could flip his life script into so many ways. He captures his characters sobered charm completly, whilst separating his work and his home life like he does our opinions on if he's up to no good or not. He plays it all perfectly, letting us form our opinion of him, all whilst giving nada away. Sub-characters in Sofia scripts always get their light licks (think Anna Faris and Giovanni Ribisi in 'Translation') and 'Iron Fist' star Jessica Henwick pulls no punches for this gold glow. But it's 'Gifted', 'Big Mouth' comedian Jenny Slate who makes the most of her "alright, that's my time folks" moment in the spotlight here. Her day after day, school run personal gossip dishing characters costume getting even ludicrous as he breaking up a marriage story (hope it's not Johansson and Adam Driver) does. Everyone is on here (even another comedian cameo in the form of 'Murray Christmas' ("do you see what I see") star Chris Rock with his classic 'Never Scared' special on the tube), making this movie rock as one of the best of the year. Sure in 2020 that's not exactly hard, as outside of the cinemas of Christopher Nolan's 'Tenet' there's little else to choose from...even on most streaming services. But even in a full calendar of no corona I'd still take this one on over going out. Maybe that's just the offbeat Murray mischief mannerism and Sofia style tonic mixed in me for this spiritual sequel trilogy in all it's whistling beauty. Hey...I'll drink to that. TIM DAVID HARVEY. 

Further Filming: 'Lost In Translation', 'A Very Murray Christmas', 'Hitch'.