While one of my favorite film studios, Blumhouse, has been absolutely cleaning up with film releases in theaters, on VOD, and with Amazon Prime this year during the pandemic, another one of my favs has been noticeably silenced in 2020 – A24.
Outside of releasing Kelly Reichardt’s amazing new film First Cow back in March and the documentary Boys State on Apple TV+, A24 has taken quite a hit this year. Films, like Rose Glass’ Saint Maud and David Lowery’s new film The Green Knight, that showed great potential in their trailers now have a TBA release date leaving a major drought of content from the studio. Thankfully, the drought finally ended when iconic writer/director Sofia Coppola’s new film On the Rocks debuted on Apple TV+.
On the Rocks is a romantic dramedy that dissects the disastrous and deeply relatable fear of infidelity, as we meet Laura (Rashida Jones, Parks & Rec). Laura is a mother of two daughters and a writer, struggling with writer’s block, who has felt incredibly happy in her marriage to her husband Dean (Marlon Wayans, White Chicks). However, as Dean takes longer work trips and frequently comes home past midnight, Laura, beginning to notice that he’s not really around as much, starts to worry that he could be having an affair. Worried that her marriage is on the rocks and questioning where things went wrong, Laura attempts to find answers in her larger than life playboy father Felix (Bill Murray, Lost in Translation). Although the two have a dysfunctional relationship due, in part at least, to Felix’s long ago affair during his marriage to Laura’s mother, Laura decides to go along with Felix’s antics in the hopes of possibly catching Dean in the act.
The film embodies how just the idea of doubt and relationship worries can really consume a person, and the way that Coppola dissects infidelity through Laura and Felix’s talks about love. The second Laura begins to think that something is up in their relationship, you can feel it instantly become the only thing she thinks about. She’s unable to write and her face has this totally puzzled and worrisome look with everything she does. It’s a worry that runs through most people’s heads at one point or another and it makes Laura polling her friends and father about what they think of Dean’s suspicious behavior more understandable. Honestly, it’s easy to resonate with her worries. Even with more possibilities than actual evidence, it’s hard not to find Dean’s late night and distant behavior a little odd and with him going on business trips with an attractive new co-worker named Fiona (Jessica Henwick, Marvel’s Iron Fist) it feels like the perfect storm for an affair. Not to mention, Jones’ performance just makes it hard not to be on Laura’s side.
Jones delivers an incredibly emotion driven performance that places all of the different stages of grief and worry all over her face. As each day passes and her sense of paranoia grows, you can see all of the anguish and soul-breaking pain written in her eyes. It makes you genuinely care for her, since her worries are so deeply relatable. She’s legitimately concerned that she’s not only losing the person that she loves, but that she’s failed as a wife and can’t find the answers to why. The way she questions her father about why he cheated and why this could be happening to her is very cathartic and thought-provoking. Not only why people lose interest in one another, but how to love someone enough or if there’s any way to really be able to love enough. It’s a very unique look at love that Jones brings an immense amount of emotion towards and also creates some great comedic chemistry with Murray.
Murray is an unstoppable force of charm in On the Rocks and his reunion with Coppola is something really special. Coppola uses plenty of great moments with Laura and Dean’s kids, some visual gags, and excellent dialogue to fill the film with plenty of comedic charm, but nothing compares to what Murray brings. He boasts the hyper-masculine views of women and relationships, selfish behavior, and self-centered mindset of Felix perfectly to make him someone that’s easy to dislike, but hard not to love. Murray’s performance here is the perfect definition of a scene stealer as he brings all of his comedic wit and talented tricks to constantly leave viewers in love with his performance. There’s an entire sequence with him talking to a police officer that both shows how Felix is always able to remain in control of the relationships he stumbles into as well as puts Murray’s charm on full display for everyone to enjoy. He brings some good emotion to the role when Felix has to face his past mistakes as Laura begins to question him about the affair that ended his marriage with her mother. Murray really brings everything he has to the table with On the Rocks and if this doesn’t land him at least a supporting Oscar nomination, and if not a win, then I really don’t know what will.
On the Rocks doesn’t just take usual routes with its conclusions either, which is part of what makes the end so remarkably memorable and comforting. It is not only a big win for A24 and Apple TV+ because it’s so good, but it’s a strong return for Coppola as she creates a dramedy narrative that makes viewers laugh while reflecting on love and infidelity. Like I said before, if Murray doesn’t get some awards love from this it’ll just be another loss from this year and frankly the film as a whole definitely deserves some serious recognition.
