A Movie Review: St. Vincent

St. Vincent. Vincent (Bill Murray) is a gruff older man. He does have certain issues in life. He drinks a touch too much. He has a thing for a pregnant Russian stripper/prostitute, Daka (Naomi Watts). He's heavily in debt. He has a gambling problem.  We also latter learn that his wife is staying at a nursing home due to her Alzheimer's.

Then he meets his new next door neighbors:  a mother and son.  Maggie (Melissa McCarthy) is about to get a divorce after learning her husband cheated on her with multiple women.  Her son is named Oliver (Jaeden Lieberher).  He's a bit scrawny and finds himself the immediate target of school bullies.  He heads home, his phone and house keys stolen.  Vincent arrives home.  Oliver, stuck on his porch, asks if he can use Vincent's phone so that he can call his mother.  And so starts an interesting friendship between these three individuals.  We find out that even though Vincent is a gruff man with certain destructive habits, he still has a kind heart.

There really is a level of sweetness in this movie from start to end.  I think it also has a wonderful message, which to me was that no matter an individual's personality that doesn't mean that person can't live by the Golden Rule.  Bill Murray brings a no bulls*it quality to Vincent.  Naomi Watts is amusing as the heart of gold stripper/prostitute.  Melissa McCarthy tames it down in this role and I think it does her well.  And Jaeden Lieberher is perfect as the awkward child.

My issues:

1.  What's up with the racetrack negativity by Maggie?  Hey, I love the racetrack.  And what's wrong with bringing a kid to the track, I see kids at the track all the time.  Of course, let's admit that making a $400 box trifecta on a horse race is just stupid.

2.  The editing towards the end of the movie is off.  We learn that Vincent is behind on paying for his wife's nursing home bill.  I don't wish to give away a major spoiler so I'll just say that Vincent is out of reach for awhile -- perhaps months.  His wife -- by inference -- remained at the nursing home while Vincent was out of reach.  Obviously, the bill must have gotten covered, but that part of the film is edited out.