“On the Rocks” Review
(From Left) Laura (Rashida Jones) and her father Felix (Bill Murray) stake out Laura’s husband in Sofia Coppola’s “On The Rocks.”
Sofia Coppola has had an interesting identity among cinephiles over the past few decades. She went from that baby in “The Godfather,” to the bad actress from “The Godfather Part III” to one of the most incredible women directors in the film industry.
With a filmography including “Lost in Translation” and “Somewhere,” Coppola’s talent for telling well-crafted stories has, once again, been affirmed by her latest work “On The Rocks” which is available on Apple TV+.
The film tells the story of Laura, a novelist with writer’s block, (Rashida Jones) who spends her time raising her two kids and working on her next book while her husband Dean (Marlon Wayans) is frequently away on business trips for his start-up company. When Laura begins to suspect that her husband might not be faithful, her eccentric father (Bill Murray) launches an investigation and comedically drags his daughter into it.
Being Murray and Coppola’s third collaboration, the acting from the former is spot on. While he’s a comedic legend, Murray’s dramatic roles have been getting, deservedly, more attention, including an Oscar nomination for his leading role in Coppola’s “Lost in Translation.” Murray’s role in “On the Rocks” is fantastic as he frequently lightens the mood of the film and gives the film several touching moments involving him and his daughter.
Rashida Jones also offers a very vulnerable portrayal of being a mother who wants to be successful at her job and keep up a strong relationship with her husband. Balancing all of her desires and responsibilities is exhausting, to say the least, and her performance reflects that.
Jones is a well-known actor from her work in “The Office,” “Parks and Rec.” and “The Social Network,” but her work as the film’s protagonist shows not only how talented she is, but also just what kind of power she has as a dramatic lead.
In “On The Rocks,” Laura (Rashida Jones) is a writer struggling with writer’s block.
Her boredom is also reflected by the repetition of her everyday actions. She gets up, takes her kids to school, has meaningless conversations and continuously struggles to write to the point where she, irrationally or not, suspects her marriage is crumbling.
If anything, this film is the perfect allegory for writer’s block: so stuck in a rut that one’s mind will go anywhere to escape.
While Marlon Wayans is well-known for comedy, his work in “On The Rocks” is a great example of dramatic acting. Dean is an exceptionally likable character which is difficult to pull off given that both Laura and the audience suspect him of adultery.
Sofia Coppola not only inherited her father Francis Ford Coppola’s gift for direction, but for writing as well which is on full display in this film. Her screenplay is full of incredible dialogue, usually said by Murray, and the story she tells is a familiar kind of comedy involving the trials of marriage. However, the narrative Sofia Coppola tells goes in a different direction than the viewer might expect which makes for a refreshing film.
Laura’s arc of trying to find her own happiness amongst the chaotic mess of life is very relatable and the film’s story, while having its comedic leanings, never strays from its true nature: an emotional but uplifting drama.
Sofia Coppola’s decision to shoot on 35mm film gives the film a more natural look to it and the photography on New York City is full of beauty and wonder. When the film goes to other locations outside the city, the beauty of the film gets even stronger and Phillipe Le Sourd’s cinematography is so lovely that individual frames of the film could become pieces of art.
While a more easily accessible film than some of her other work, Sofia Coppola’s direction and screenplay make “On The Rocks” one of her best films and a passionate one at that.
