Movie: St Vincent

Bill Murray films can go either way, but they are a must see.Having said that, this also stars Melissa McCarthy, one of my favourite on-screen faces from her Mike & Molly series rather than any film, especially the terrible The Heat earlier this year.In this comedy drama, she plays it straight. Her character, Maggie, has just moved next door to Vincent, the drunken slob of a OAP. Their verbal first exchange is due to an accident caused by her moving company involving a tree and fence, both Vincent’s. This sets up the tone of the film, of which the star is the newly single parent, Maggie’s son, Oliver, who befriends the stranger next door when he becomes his after school babysitter. This out of convenience and desperation on both parties side rather than bona fide careful decision-making.Add into the mix the lady of the night that Vincent ‘employs’ every Tuesday, his fondness for his cat and his wife with dementia who he lovingly houses in an expensive nursing home, there’s enough in this film to keep us both entertained and emotionally attached. 8/10Smile factor 8/10