Last night I had the opportunity to view the latest straight to streaming movie of 2020, On The Rocks, directed by Sofia Coppola. On its face, it had a lot going for it. A talented director. A stellar cast (featuring the first collaboration between Bill Murray and Coppola since Lost In Translation). And, a decently interesting trailer. Going in my hopes were high with this one. Not only was I getting to watch a new movie in a time where we every movie is socially distancing itself into 2021 or later, but it was a movie from a director I highly admire. Say what you will about Coppola, but she has a certain style that I enjoy, and her movies are always interesting because of it. However, I have to admit that On The Rocks doesn't live up to its billing. It's a rather lifeless wannabe rom-com devoid of style or substance. It's filled with things and scenes I feel like I've seen a million times before.
On The Rocks stars Rashida Jones and Marlon Waynes as a couple in a rut. They've been married for awhile, have a couple (very cute) daughters, and like any couple of that status, can't seem to keep the romantic spark alive. Jones' character is troubled by her husband's growing distance as his business is expanding, forcing him to travel a lot with his attractive coworker. She is worried he might be cheating on her, and so she calls in her (quirky) father for analysis, played by Bill Murray.
Like most Murray performances, he's both cool and funny... and not really a great father. He comes up with countless zany situations to track his son-in-law. Before you know it, the film is entering cliched rom-com territory. I feel like I've seen this a hundred times before with a Kate Hudson or Sarah Jessica Parker. Jones is secretly trailing her husband, hoping to catch him in the act. She's running off to Mexico to spy on her husband at a work retreat. Murray is along for the ride egging her on. The problem I have with this movie is that there's nothing new or anything with style in it. Murray isn't doing anything new. Coppola isn't applying any of her signature style. And, worst of all, the film doesn't know if it wants to be an all-out rom-com or a more serious dramedy. It toes the line of each genre without ever committing to either. Lost In Translation was so refreshing because it presented Murray in a light that we had never really seen him in before. It was new and exciting for him to go against type. The chemistry between him and Scarlett Johansen was off the chart in that film. In On The Rocks, he's still charming, but in a "been there, done that" kind of way. Coppola doesn't really allow Jones and Waynes' characters to develop much on screen chemistry either. Most of the time is devoted to the father/daughter dynamic.
Overall, On The Rocks is not a terrible movie. Because of its pedigree, I was expecting more. It's the one "straight to streaming" movie that I've seen this year where I didn't feel like it needed the cinematic experience.
