There’s a classic episode of The Simpsons where Homer is tasked with telling a few jokes at a birthday party, an opportunity he jumps at. When the party hits a snag and the announcement of a puppy’s death is made, Homer, still expected to perform, gamely hits the stage with a booming “ARE YOU READY TO LAUGH?”. He is met with a scathing response. “Be quiet, you awful man”. That’s kind of what it feels like watching Sofia Coppola’s latest dramedy On the Rocks, a film which takes one of the greatest comedians of all time in Bill Murray and completely wastes his talent, giving him constant streams of (admittedly excellent) heavy dramatic dialogue with barely a hint of his signature whimsy. This dramatic side of On the Rocks is top notch, with Oscar-worthy performances. However when your film is being sold as the breakout comedy of the year, audiences might expect, you know, a good joke or two, which On the Rocks sadly fails to muster.
Coppola’s exploration of the father-daughter bond is told through the eyes of Laura (Rashida Jones), a doting mother and writer in a creative rut, who feels like she is drifting from her husband Dean (Marlon Wayans) and begins to suspect he is having an affair with a co-worker. Naturally rattled and unsure how to handle the situation, Laura turns to her wealthy playboy father Felix (Bill Murray) for advice, a move which may result in more than Laura bargained for as Felix fills her head with all sorts of reasons that Dean is cheating, pulled from his own less than reputable experiences. What starts as a pursuit of Dean to catch him red handed gradually becomes a bonding experience for Laura and Felix, leading to a pursuit for answers to questions Laura has long buried as the father and daughter’s relationship fractured over the years.
Right away the set-up is comedy gold. You have Bill Murray going to (what you would think would be) increasingly zany and wild lengths to catch Dean out. After all this is the man who repeated a certain Groundhog Day hundreds of times with some pretty whacky results. It becomes immediately apparent that Coppola is not concerned with this approach to the story and that is fine. She sets up the film erring on the dramatic side with a few chuckles from Murray as the relationship between Laura and Felix is established. All is well, the good jokes must be coming. Except they never really do as the film races through its brief 90 minute runtime. Nothing in On the Rocks is ever laugh out loud funny. The only scene that comes close involves Murray talking his way out of a speeding ticket, with hints and flashes of his signature style shining through before being quickly locked away just as he is about to be let completely off the chain.
No, this is not a film of wild adventures, this is a film of conversations. Murray and Jones in a restaurant discussing her childhood while he absentmindedly discusses his sexual conquests. Murray and Jones in a car discussing caviar and her sense of displacement in her world. Sadly the dialogue doesn’t crackle with intensity like say The Social Network does and the consistently heavy discussions begin to grate after a while. It’s not bad by any means but Coppola seems to think that simply having Murray in a scene will bring some levity to counterbalance the weight of the conversation and it does to a degree – Murray can’t help being naturally funny and charming even when he’s not trying – but it just isn’t enough to stay the monotony at points, despite the excellent performances.
That is where On the Rocks makes up (mostly) for its shortcomings. It’s hard to excuse the lack of comedy when you are billing your film as a comedy but the dramatic performances that we get from Murray and especially Jones are astounding. This is hands down the best performance of Rashida Jones’ career, heartbreaking and raw in all the right ways, as she imbues her character with an empathy that immediately makes her relatable and an excellent heroine for the audience to root for. We have all been in tricky spots and creative ruts in life and her performance understands this on a deep level. We see the despondency and frustration in her eyes as she does the school run each morning, listening to the other mothers problems, never exposing that vulnerable side and talking about her own issues. It is only once she starts these adventures with Murray that she is truly able to express her concerns and worries about where her life is headed, slowly coming to realise that Felix might not be the best person to take relationship advice from but that he is a complicated and misunderstood man who deserves a second chance. It’s a truly next-level, understated performance from the actress that deserves at least an Oscar nomination.
Telling you to watch On the Rocks is a hard sell. I mean, how likely are most people to go and see a Bill Murray film in which he gives you nothing more than a quick chuckle? Oh did I mention there’s some heavy emotional drama to offset that lack of comedy? No, if there is anything to sway you into watching Sofia Coppola’s film it is the performances, which are exceptionally good (particularly Jones) and will likely find their way into awards contention come Oscar season. If you’re looking to sink a little further into that pandemic depression then give On the Rocks a go; otherwise maybe stick to something a little more optimistic and lighthearted in these troubling times? I hear the new Borat is good.
On the Rocks stars Rashida Jones, Bill Murray & Marlon Wayans – Streaming on Apple TV+ now.