St Vincent

Director: Theodore Melfi

Cast: Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy, Naomi Watts

It’s Oscar season and we all know what that means... It means that from the end of October to the beginning of January we can expect quite a lot of moving and sometimes depressing stories gracing the silver screen. It also means that actors and actresses that we would have shoeboxed into a particular genre suddenly show us our worth. For instance, there is already an awful lot of Oscar talk for former Friends star Jennifer Aniston and none other than Steve Carrell for his role in Foxcatcher. Who would have believed that Matthew McConaughey would win an Oscar in 2014? Certainly not most of the cinema-going public. Well, if they gave Oscars for people taking their top off, he certainly would have won.

Bill Murray is certainly going to be one of those actors who will prove his worth, even if he has already proved it to the world at large.

St Vincent tells the story of a young mother, Maggie, played by Melissa McCarthy, who moves in next door to one of the crankiest old men you will find on a cinema screen. Murray plays Vincent, an older gentleman who lives on his own and finds his pleasure drinking in the local bar. However, when his funds run out, he agrees to look after Maggie’s adorable kid Oliver to earn some extra money. Of course, something beautiful happens and Vincent and Oliver develop a beautiful friendship. However, after a distressing event in his life, it turns out Vincent needs the people next door more than they need him.

Firstly, Bill Murray is a legend. Even though the character may not have a tonne of dialogue, he breathes life into the brilliant personality. There is no question that he will be up for an Oscar for this role. Although he isolates himself, he really is just someone who wants to be loved. Melissa McCarthy is also quite good here playing against type, she’s not the foul-mouthed character we have come to expect over time. However, the stand out performance here is from Jaeden Lieberher who plays the young Oliver. He becomes so attached to Vincent that when he begins to push him back, your heart will break for his character.

The one big problem that St Vincent suffers from is that it is entirely predictable in parts and suffers slightly from this issue. You will know exactly where this is going from the start but that doesn’t take away from the fact that this is just an incredibly sweet film and well worth your time.

All hail Bill Murray!