Kernel Rating (out of 5):
MPAA Rating: PG-13 Length: 103 minutes
Age Appropriate For: 14+. Cursing and rude names; a sex scene involving a prostitute/stripper, who is a prominent character in the film (but there is no nudity); a scene in a strip club with that aforementioned character dancing onstage in a bikini; some violence, including bullying; a character steals and tries to sell prescription drugs; that same character is a barely functioning alcoholic; gambling; and discussions about and the depiction of marital infidelity. There is certainly a lot going on, but the sex and violence aren’t graphic.
Bill Murray goes full-on grouch for ‘St. Vincent,’ playing a boozy, broke senior citizen who is paired with unlikely neighbors. The film means to be moving, but you can see every trite storytelling beat from a mile away.
By Roxana Hadadi
Setting out to deliberately make a heart-warming movie can be tough; with “St. Vincent,” it backfires nearly completely. The debut film from Theodore Melfi, who handles both directing and writing duties here, has a game Bill Murray willing to drink whiskey, gamble on horse races, woo prostitutes, and befriend small children, but there is far too much going on and too many telegraphed story beats. The grouchy old man has a heart of gold, you say? Who knew? (Except for everyone.)