On the Rocks (dir. by Sofia Coppola, 2020)

Many critics have already drawn parallels between Sofia Coppola’s new film On the Rocks with perhaps her most celebrated, 2003’s Lost in Translation. Both star Bill Murray, deal with the universal problem of the midlife crisis and feature a melancholic tone. However, although On the Rocks carves out its own path with its own unique themes and narrative, it’s unlikely it’ll be remembered as fondly as some of Coppola’s previous films.

Alongside Bill Murray who plays her father Felix, Rashida Jones stars as Laura, a wife and mother in her late thirties who begins to suspect her husband Dean (Marlon Wayans) is having an affair with his new co-worker Fiona (Jessica Henwick). Felix, an elderly playboy who makes his riches through dealing modern art to the New York social elite, immediately believes the worst once his daughter relays her fears to him. The father and daughter duo embark on a mission to discover the truth of Dean’s actions, working through the entanglements of their own strange relationship in the process.

Jones, known for her comedic turns in sitcoms such as The Office and Parks and Recreation, brings the right amount of comedic charisma and dramatic depth to compete with the omnipresent onscreen charm of Murray. And Bill Murray plays, well, Bill Murray. Roles such as this prove he is aging like a fine wine, still capable of capturing the melodramatic magic of some of his best performances.

However, despite two good performances and the good chemistry between the two actors, the film’s script floats in an unmixed cocktail glass, not knowing whether to dip fully into comedy or drama and not providing the actors with the sufficient dialogue to fully realise their performances. The so-called “dramedy” genre can often throw up some fantastic films, but On the Rocks fails to land any truly moving or truly funny moments, and it certainly comes off the worse because of it.

The title also implies the film is an exploration of drinking and possibly alcoholism, but it’s almost exclusively a rumination on the sexual promiscuity of men, and how it can affect those around them. Although the film sometimes offers interesting ideas on the subject, it essentially boils down to Felix believing men are instinctively hardwired to be licentious with Laura arguing that this pessimistic view of sexual gender politics is probably false.

On the Rocks comes to no solid conclusions on the subject, and it’s a discussion I won’t go into anymore to avoid spoiling the movie, but this ambiguous end certainly frustrated me. For a film so focused on the moral implications of sex, it doesn’t seem to offer a clear stance. Maybe that’s the point, but it didn’t stop On the Rocks leaving a slightly sour taste in my mouth.

Despite these writing issues, the film looks beautiful. All the shots are carefully and intelligently composed in terms of composition and colour, many of them serving the story along with their attractiveness. New York is lovingly presented in all its cinematic charm, Coppola’s hometown that she clearly loves. The visuals of the trendy nightime bars and the dark streets sandwiched between high-rise buildings are only enriched by the intermittent soundtrack of cool jazz music.

On the Rocks is a pleasant experience. It has a watchable and intriguing story with good performances as well as looking and sounding quite delightful. Certainly not a failure by any means, but it just lacks the lustre you’d expect from the mixture of all its luxurious parts. I will admit though, it’s always a pleasure to watch Bill Murray, whatever he’s in. On the Rocks is on a limited theatrical release now and is arriving on Apple TV+ on October 23rd.