'On The Rocks' is a film about Laura, a woman reconnecting with her father, Felix, as the two go out on an escapade as Laura becomes suspicious of her husbands fidelity. The film presents Laura's struggle as her doubts towards her husband add to her already taxing life as a mother and writer.
The film presents Laura as a busy mother of two young girls, with her time occupied by having to take care of them, whilst struggling to move on professionally and recommence her writing. We are introduced to her husband, Dean, through an awkward encounter as he returns from a business trip, acting oddly, which leads Laura to become suspicious of his fidelity to her. Seeking an outside perspective on the situation, Laura contacts Felix, who raises a few questions leading Laura to become doubtful about her marriage.
Through a number of encounters Felix ropes Laura into spying on her husband and eventually following him down to Mexico, where he is on a business trip, in order to investigate Dean's activities. This backfires, as her husband returns home earlier than planned, and Laura has to come clean to him about her actions and suspicions. The event also leads to a breakdown with Felix and Lauras relationship as she goes on a tirade, revealing suppressed emotions regarding how Felix's affair that broke up his and her mothers marriage has affected her. The film concludes on a bittersweet note as Laura is able to get out of her creative rut, has cleared the air with her husband and is on amicable terms with her father.
'On The Rocks' is a film that makes use of a number of locations to accentuate specific scenes that reflect the main characters emotional state. On the outset, Laura carries on her daly routine, taking care of her girls and attempting to write, scenes that are set during the daytime, in bright interiors or outside. Once she becomes suspicious of Dean, the majority of her escapades with Felix occur during the nighttime, and in dimly lit interiors. As doubt begins to cloud her mind and Felix seemingly confirms her worst suspicions, the tone of the film becomes dreary, and the scenes are set to a quiet and dim atmosphere.
The director and writer of the film, Sofia Coppola, has created a movie that combines both drama and a slow burning suspense story. The main character is presented in a relatable manner without over explaining her daly strife, presenting her current state as a woman managing her way forward as a mother, a writer and a wife. Her daly routine bears down on her and the audience can empathise with the demanding nature of raising a family and trying to combine that with a professional life. The introduction of doubt towards her husband adds to Lauras already existing struggle and facilitates a descent towards a breakdown for her.
The introduction of Felix is presented as Laura’s willingness to indulge into the exploration of Deans infidelity, a means to dissect her worst suspicions. The spying and investigation is treated as an adventure by Felix, and Laura soon realises that giving into her distrust and spying on Dean has not been the right way of approaching the situation. Eventually, on reconciling her feelings as Dean and Laura have an honest conversation about what has transpired sets everything in place, proving that effective communication is the best policy in any situation.
The film also benefits from executing the story in a delicate manner, revealing character traits and sensibilities through subtle actions. The film also maintains an air of mystery throughout its runtime, as the story progresses via low-key revelations and the audience is not spoon fed the history of the individual players, rather all is revealed with toned down actions and statements made in conversation.
Rashida Jones portrays Laura, encapsulating her role as a mother, a writer and a wife. Jones successfully conveys the sense of responsibility that her character feels and through the runtime of the film reveals how heavy her suspicions weigh on her regarding the apparent downturn she is experiencing. Without going over the top, Jones has displayed a character that is haunted by her suspicions and goes on a journey to resolve her inner doubts.
Bill Murray portrays Felix, a charismatic and likeable character that seems to enchant everyone he comes across. Presumably not too removed from the actors own personality, Murray showcases a quick-witted individual that does play into Lauras suspicions, perhaps not accurately assessing what the appropriate solution for her situation may be. However, the characters feelings towards his daughter are clear in that he wants to ensure her happiness. Murray manages to portray Felix in a very human manner, in that even although he walks around as a magnetic person, his darker side is revealed through assuming the worst of Dean, and aiming a negative slight towards his daughter in their climactic argument. Overall, Murray is a joy to see on screen as his character is full of surprises, and creates elaborate situations and maintains an air of mystery about himself, rarely acting or saying anything predictable.
The film hosts a number of great supporting characters, notably Marlon Wayans, who plays Dean. Wayans provides a great character in that his performance is nuanced enough to play both the cheating husband and the loyal spouse. His ability to deliver the dual performance for the charact truly enables the viewer to keep guessing his motivations and actions until the end of the feature, creating a truly exciting viewing experience.
Together with the subtle writing and cinematography, as helmed by Philippe Le Sourd, Coppola has managed to create a soft spoken and aesthetically pleasing feature delving into the exploration of a woman pursuing and enabling her worst instincts. The film maintains a quiet and subtle atmosphere throughout, elevating its tone only when necessary in a few instances where characters are expressing pent up emotions, thereby making them more effective in conveying the characters feelings.
The film is a great exploration of the themes of trust and loyalty and probes into examining the actions of someone who is feeling conflicted, and how those actions can be influenced by others with their own agendas. 'On The Rocks' is a great drama that balances character exploration and supports a mystery throughout its run and showcases a sense of elegance in every shot.
Score: 3/4
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