REVIEW: ‘On the Rocks’ starring Rashida Jones, Bill Murray
Photo: On the Rocks stars Rashida Jones and Bill Murray as a daughter and father trying to solve a mystery. Photo courtesy of Apple TV+ / Provided by press site with permission.
Sofia Coppola’s On the Rocks, starring Rashida Jones, Bill Murray and Marlon Wayans, is a pleasant, slight entertainment that always feels it will break out into something larger, but never seems to reach those heights. Viewers will be impressed by the easy-going dialogue and fine performances, especially from Murray, but Lost in Translation this is not.
Jones plays Laura, a struggling novelist who is raising two children with Dean (Wayans) in New York City. Lately, most of the responsibilities of the relationship and the parenting fall on Laura’s shoulders because Dean’s work has taken off, causing him to work late, travel out of town and host many office parties. Laura’s own storytelling inspiration has been missing as of late, and she’s a bit lost in this new life.
When Laura finds another woman’s cosmetic bag in Dean’s luggage, she begins to suspect that her husband is having an affair with a new co-worker. To figure out whether she’s reading the tea leaves correctly, Laura employs the help of her father, Felix (Murray), a playboy who has a misogynistic view of women.
The two — both father and daughter — decide to team up and scope out Dean’s professional life to see if anything untoward is happening. Laura is reluctant to spy on her husband, but Felix has a plan in place and is ready to play the role of Sherlock Holmes.
Whether or not Dean is cheating is secondary to the main arc of the piece, and that’s the quality time Laura is able to spend with her father. Although they appear to be polar opposites, there’s a real love between the two characters, and they have a lot of fun being private investigators around the streets of New York City.
The character of Laura feels underwritten. There’s a lot more to learn about her as a person, but these quick 96 minutes don’t allow the audience to go that deep. Wayans’ Dean is unfortunately a victim of the plot; he never has a chance to fully materialize within this story. Murray’s Felix, perhaps to be expected, is the best of the bunch. He’s funny and surprising, offensive and embarrassing. He dotes on his daughter, but he also has a complicated relationship with women. He can’t help himself from flirting with everyone, and his comments — often hurtful and pig-headed — cause Laura to roll her eyes. Still, Coppola paints him with a kind, forgiving brush, and he somehow wins over the audience by the end. That’s a testament to Murray’s performance.
Coppola is an excellent director and a superb writer. On the Rocks is not bad and would make for a solid debut, but being that the audience knows her work can be so much better than this, the film feels slightly like a letdown.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
On the Rocks (2020). Written and directed by Sofia Coppola. Starring Rashida Jones, Bill Murray and Marlon Wayans. Running time: 96 minutes. Rated R for some language and sexual references. Rating: 
