St. Vincent: Sweet & Savvy

All I knew about St. Vincent is that it starred Bill Murray and Melissa McCarthy. That was enough for me. Now that I've watched it, I can recommend it not only for its cast, but for the funny and moving story by writer-director Theodore Melfi. He tells a familiar story but tells it so well that you could just keep watching it forever.

The story is fairly simple. Vincent MacKenna (Bill Murray) is a cranky old man who doesn't like people and isn't much liked in return. He is fond of gambling and drinking, pays a pregnant Russian prostitute (Naomi Watts) for her services once a week, and is heavily in debt. One day, Maggie Bronstein (Melissa McCarthy) moves in next door with her 12-year old son Oliver (Jaeden Lieberher). She is getting over a nasty divorce and is dealing with the chaos of single motherhood, while Oliver quietly takes it all in his stride. He is a remarkably self-possessed child, but after being bullied at his new school and arriving at his house without his keys, he is forced to seek refuge at his cranky neighbor's house. Vincent, desperate for cash, reluctantly agrees to become Oliver's babysitter, and proceeds to teach him some questionable life lessons, including how to break someone's nose and gamble all your money on a horse racing trifecta.

Murray and McCarthy are two of the greatest comedians to grace our screens and they both do a spectacular job in this movie. I don't know how much of the dialogue was improvised and how much of it was already included in Melfi's original script, but the humor is sarcastic, witty, and fantastic. Chris O'Dowd also plays a small but insanely memorable role as Oliver's teacher, Brother Geraghty (it's a Catholic school), who is resigned to the fact that his pupils are a bunch of heathens but he is going to teach them about morning prayers anyway. Naomi Watts is charming as Daka, the "lady of the night" who seems like a one-note character but gradually develops into a surprisingly funny and warm woman. And Jordan Lieberher is one of those child actors who is destined to become a star. He is utterly wonderful as the polite, capable Oliver, watching in resigned bewilderment as the adults around him proceed to screw up their lives in every way possible.

While the movie starts off as a raucous comedy, the second half gets more dramatic, as Vincent undergoes some huge life changes, alienates his friends, and seems to return to his old ways. Oliver and Maggie have to face some challenges themselves, and things look a little bleak. However, the movie ends with a beautiful flourish that teeters on the edge of treacly sentimentality but is saved by Murray's no-nonsense acting. He doesn't chew the scenery in the dramatic moments, letting them play out naturally without getting too mawkish. Likewise with Melissa McCarthy, who is sympathetic throughout but never demands your pity. The proceedings are enough to bring a tear to your eye but not make you feel too manipulated, the Goldilocks zone of a great comedy-drama.

St. Vincent is a movie that you can predict all the way through: the story of a grumpy old man and a young boy becoming unlikely friends is one that we've all seen before. What makes it unique is the stellar cast, who can make you laugh uncontrollably one moment and then tear up the next. The characters are unlikely and bizarre, which makes it all the more fascinating to see how they all fit together and become a support system. It may be a tale as old as time, but it is a beautifully told tale, and will gladden your heart.