Laura (Rashida Jones) is afraid her marriage is in trouble when she starts to suspect her husband, Dean (Marlon Wayans), is cheating on her. Though she has her doubts, she contacts her art-dealing, schmoozing, and womanising father, Felix (Bill Murray), for his advice. Felix takes it upon himself to drag Laura out on the town and find out what Dean is up to.
On the Rocks is a charming, light watch that grapples with universal themes with a realist focus. The dramatic Hollywood tropes in this film play out with a sense of ordinariness. It may sound like a dull viewing experience, but it truly feels respectful to those going through a similar situation to Laura. Drawing on her own experiences as a mother, daughter, and wife, director Sofia Coppola manages to convey a rich yet subtle perspective.
The cast carry the material wonderfully. Rashida Jones brings an incredible level of naturalism to her role; from the way that she stresses over her job as a writer, to the way that she absentmindedly nods along to an obnoxious oversharing mother (played by the always hilarious Jenny Slate) at her daughter’s school. As Dean, Marlon Wayans puts full faith in the script and leaves you guessing until the end. As for Bill Murray as Felix, this is his third project with Coppola and he is as charming as ever while dealing with complexities similar to his work in Lost in Translation. However, his affable personality tends to unbalance the film’s dynamic, taking the spotlight at key points in what should be Laura’s story. It’s hard to justify these moments as development for Felix when it’s really just letting Murray do some schtick. Don’t get me wrong, Murray is the King of Schtick, and it’s clear that Coppola loves what he brings to each scene, but the film would have benefitted from a more focused performance to suit it’s subtle tone.
The technical aspects of the film build Laura’s world with great distinction. The score (created by Phoenix in their fifth collaboration with Coppola) is energetic when she’s at home, getting her two daughters ready for school, then mellows out whenever Felix arrives and takes control of her life for a few hours. Likewise, Laura’s home life is messy and filled with muted colours, in comparison to the lush surroundings that the father-daughter pair find themselves in during their investigation.
On the Rocks may not be as daring as some of Coppola’s other work, but the film’s incisiveness makes up for it, offering a probing look into the interior life of a woman struggling to find herself amongst being a wife, mother, and daughter.
Written by Janine Lau and edited by Jessica Ellicott (as part of the Film in Revolt writing mentorship program).