St. Vincent (2014)

I love Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy and Naomi Watts so passing St. Vincent was not an option for me, even more so if you consider the film got a Globe nomination for Best Comedy/Musical. Unfortunately, my cinema didn't show it, I missed it and it took me more than four years to catch up.

The story follows Vincent (Bill Murray), an old, grumpy and alcoholic Vietnam veteran who lives alone and gambles regularly and whose only friend is a Russian sex worker named Daka (Naomi Watts). When Maggie Bronstein (Melissa McCarty), a med-tech divorcée, moves to the next-door house with her eleven-year-old son, Oliver (Jaeden Lieberher), Vicent offers to babysit him for money and he soon turns out to be exactly the mentor Oliver needs as the kid has to deal with his parents' divorce and the new school.

St. Vincent's story is far from being original and follows every single cliché of the genre where you have a grumpy man being softened by a kid in need of a father figure. It's predictable and doesn't have a surprising twist at the end. However, despite these flaws, the story is engaging and interesting to follow, but most of all, it's one of those feel-good stories with a happy ending you are longing for and that successfully manage to put a huge smile on your face as the final credits roll in.

The characters too are stereotypes, from the alcoholic, rude old man who gambles with money that is not his and with no apparent redeeming quality, to the kid who is the walking stereotype of Catholic School life, to the single mother is going through a divorce because her husband cheated on her. But just like with the story, you are willing to overlook these flaws because they also are likeable, sympathetic and they feel real.

The Weinstein Company

And the credits for it entirely go to the cast. Bill Murray is a delight to watch and gives a funny and charming performance in the role of Vincent as he does great with his character's eccentricities while also showing his humanity and big heart. Naomi Watts is quite a show stealer in the role of Daka, the lady of the night, as Vincent calls her; she really fleshes out the character and her Russian accent is pretty good. Melissa McCarty showcases her dramatic talents in the role of the single mother. Chris O'Dowd shines as Brother Geraghty, a teacher in Catholic school, and brings some enjoyable Catholic humour in the film. It's Jaeden Lieberher, however, that completely steals the scene. The young actor is so likeable and sweet it's a joy to watch, and his chemistry with Murray is incredible.

Ultimately, St. Vincent isn't anything new but it's still a touching, funny, sweet and heartwarming feel-good movie with a charming cast.

The Incredible Jessica James (2017)

Scrolling through Netflix and adding movies and TV series to my watchlist is something I love doing. Putting them off is another thing I love doing. Watching them, not so much. So, if it wasn't for Brittani's review, I probably would have never checked out The Incredible Jessica James. 

The story follows Jessica James (Jessica Williams), a struggling playwright living in New York. She has recently broken up with her boyfriend of two years, Damon (Lakeith Stanfield) and just can't get over it and keeps stalking his Instagram. Essentially forced by her best friend, Tasha (Noël Wells), she goes on a blind date with Boone (Chris O'Dowd), a newly divorcé who is also obsessed in a stalker-like way with his ex (Megan Ketch). Despite both of their disinterest in a new relationship, they establish an instant bond.

Fortunately, The Incredible Jessica James avoids being a clichéd romantic comedy as the unromantic relationship between Jessica and Boone and Jessica's broken heart kind of takes a back seat and leave plenty of room to another plot to develop, the one involving Jessica's job as a teacher at a kids' theatre workshop, which is the heart and soul of the film as it's this part that captures the spirit of all those people who choose to follow their passions.

As for the character, Jessica is quite a flawed one. She is a strong-willed, independent, young woman who has pretty much nothing about her life together —and I could really sympathize and relate to her because of this. She is funny and brilliant, and the energy and passion she puts into teaching kids and helping them realize that they can do whatever they want to do with their lives is amazing. However, she often comes off as an unpleasant person, a bit of a narcissist as she considers herself to be better and smarter than everybody else. She's not so incredible when she acts like that.

Netflix

Despite the character not being always very likeable and her saying "dope" an insane amount of times, Jessica Williams gives a charming and funny performance as the lead. Despite the underdeveloped characters, the supporting cast is equally strong —Chris O'Dowd manages to shine with a warm and likeable performance, and has a pretty good on-screen chemistry with Williams; Noël Wells is delightful as Jessica's friend; and Lakeith Stanfield, although he's barely given something to do, is always a pleasure to watch.

In addition, The Incredible Jessica James does have a nice balance of humour and drama, and keeps the comedy as realistic and natural as possible and does not overdo the drama.

Juliet, Naked (2018)

I love Ethan Hawke —I'm pissed at him for what he said about comic book movies though— and because of it, I added Juliet, Naked on my watchlist without even knowing what it was about. And if it wasn't for Big Screen Small Words who picked it for a Thursday Movie Picks a couple of weeks ago, I probably would have never watch it.

Anyways, the film is set in England and follows Annie (Rose Byrne), a going on 40 woman who is stuck in a long-term relationship with Duncan (Chris O'Dowd), a college teacher who is obsessed with American rocker Tucker Crowe (Ethan Hawke). One day, someone mails Duncan an album of acoustic demos of Tucker's hit album, he and Annie listen to it separately, they have an argument over its quality, Annie writes a negative review on Duncan's website and she gets an email reply from Crowe himself. He agrees with her, and they hit off real quick. 

Unlike what you may be thinking from that right now, it is not the typical and predictable boy meets girl story filled with clichés and unrealistic plot points romantic comedies love nowadays. Instead, it is a compelling, sweet and lighthearted story about love, relationships and parenting. It is about feeling and being stuck —a human condition I identify with—, and the attempts to deal with it. It is about second chances. It's about finding your own path in life. It is also about learning that there's a difference between the way a fan sees his/her idol and the harsh reality. Yes, it's a lot for an hour and a half long movie, but believe me when I say that the filmmakers managed to make it all fit in and nicely develop all of them. 

No matter how much I loved the story though, my favourite part of Juliet, Naked was the characters. They do seem a little ridiculous at times and the film pokes fun at them because of that —it works, by the way— but at the same time they are believable and feel like real human beings as they all are flawed individuals. They are interesting and compelling and ultimately we care about them.

Lionsgate & Roadside Attractions, Universal Pictures, Focus Features

Of course, it wouldn't be the same if it wasn't for the talented cast. Rose Byrne is very likeable as Annie, a woman who has spent fifteen years of her life with a man she is unhappy with. She is the kind of woman who's always worried, always afraid to let herself go and therefore always ends up doing the right thing, and Byrne portrays that very well. Ethan Hawke is terrific as Tucker, the faded rock star whose life turned out way different than he, and his fans, thought, and gives yet another of his charming performances as he captures the man's clumsy attempts at righting his wrongs and facing his responsibilities. At last, Chris O'Dowd gives a memorable perfomrnace as Duncan, a man who sees a lot in everyone but those very close to him. His character is kind of the villain of the story and yet he manages to make him sympathetic.

As for the comedy side, Juliet, Naked is not the type of film where you laugh like there's no tomorrow. It's the type of comedy with subtle and clever humour sneaked into the interesting, witty dialogue. As for the drama, it's not the type of drama that makes you cry or bores you, but the type of drama that is relatable. And the filmmakers did a wonderful job at balancing those two aspects.