Yahoo News Bill Murray's Apple TV+ movie On the Rocks lands positive first reviews
The verdict is in on Bill Murray's new collaboration with director Sofia Coppola following their acclaimed turn in Lost in Translation – and it seems they may have bagged another winner.
On the Rocks stars Parks and Recreation's Rashida Jones as a woman called Laura who begins to suspect her husband Dean (Marlon Wayans) is having an affair, and turns to her impulsive father Felix (Murray) for help.
The first reviews are (on the whole) pretty positive, with many critics calling the movie charming and comparing it to Lost in Translation – both favourably and unfavourably.
Here's what critics have been saying:
Deadline
"Maybe it has been because 2020 is such a miserable year, or maybe because the world is just in a state of upheaval over COVID-19, or maybe it is just because we need some laughs. But On the Rocks is more than just a riotously funny, wonderfully witty and smart film – it is a much needed one. Coppola's movie is also a bit of a pre-pandemic valentine to New York City, a reminder of the Big Apple's pure joy, and even without Bill Murray to light it up that would probably be enough."
The Hollywood Reporter
"On the Rocks is very much a father-daughter two-hander – tender and personal, dryly funny and played to perfection by Jones and Murray. Its effortless touch shows the accomplished, genre-hopping Coppola continuing to expand her range."
Empire
"Lighter and slighter than we may expect from Coppola, On The Rocks is an eminently charming, gorgeous portrait of a daughter, wife and mother finding her way back to herself via the streets of New York City."
Little White Lies
"In lesser hands the story might be outlandish or melodramatic, but somehow Coppola makes it all plausible, even if the film could dig a little deeper into the causes of Laura's anxieties. It also offers a few very little insights into how a modern woman is supposed to have it all […] Even so, it's a joy to spend some time with company this good. No film this year is more likely to make you crave the comfort of a dark bar and some fine conversation, or make you want to call Mum and Dad."
Variety
"On the Rocks turns into a boozy humanistic hang-out caper movie, one that's light-spirited and compelling, mordantly alive to the ins and outs of marriage, and a winning showcase for Murray's aging-like-fine-whiskey brand of world-weary deviltry. But unlike Lost in Translation or Coppola's other best film, Somewhere (which was like Entourage directed by Agnès Varda), there's no extra level of mystery to this one. It holds you, but it's a little thin."
The Guardian
"There are some cheerfully amusing moments, and I'm a sucker for the time-honoured routine when someone impatiently grabs the binoculars from someone else, thus dragging the straps across that person's scowling face. But really the banter and the elegance needs some substance in the script and it really isn't here, or not enough of it, and the serious moments seem glazed in a kind of negligent unseriousness."
On the Rocks will be released on Apple TV+ on October 23.
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