Read the transcript below:

0:08
Hello, hello and welcome back to art house garage, the snob free film Podcast, where we make art house indie classic and foreign cinema accessible to the masses. I’m your host Andrew Sweatman, and today we’re looking at another 2020 film on the rocks. There have been some new and emerging filmmakers working this year like kitty green with the assistant or Chloe Zhao with Nomad land, both of which we’ve discussed on previous episodes of this podcast. But there have also been some well established directors adding new entries to their photography. directors like David Fincher with manque, which we discussed a few weeks ago or Kelly record with first cow, which we plan to do in a few weeks. Today’s film falls into that second camp of filmmakers who have been working a while and built a strong body of work. That filmmaker is of course, Sofia Coppola, whose previous films include lost in translation, the Virgin Suicides, and Marie Antoinette. Her latest film on the rocks, was released on Apple TV plus earlier this year. And that’s what we’re discussing today. On the rocks tells the story of Laura played by Rashida Jones, who has reason to suspect her husband Dean played by Marlon Wayans of infidelity. complicating the situation is the presence of her father Felix, played brilliantly by Bill Murray. Felix is an Old School New York playboy who insists that men are incapable of being faithful, and he has many troubling opinions about gender, despite always being the most charming person in the room. When Laura tells Felix that she suspects dean of cheating, the father and daughter duo take to the streets trying to catch Dean in the act. It’s very funny, mostly very light movie, though it does bring some dramatic weight to the situation as well. It’s honestly the perfect thing to stream if you’ve got some extra time over the holidays. It’s a crowd pleaser. Most anyone will find some enjoyment. And joining me today is filmmaker and friend of the show James Basham, who loves a New York story and appeared previously on this podcast to discuss marriage story, as well as the lighthouse. James was kind enough to stop by again and record this great discussion with me for on the rocks. Welcome back to the podcast. James Basham. How have you been?

2:16
Good. Thanks for having me again, Andrew.

2:18
It’s always a pleasure, for sure. I’m so glad to have you back. Yeah. You were saying before we push record that it’s been like a year or something. We did the lighthouse. Back in the day.

2:27
Yeah, it was. We did marriage story.

2:29
Oh, yeah. Marriage story as well. That’s right.

2:31
We have a theme of doing marriage movies.

2:35
Here we go. Yeah, this is all about on the rocks. A marriage that’s on the rocks. Yeah, that’s funny. It’s funny marriage story just came up in the previous episode two or a couple episodes back, I guess. We were talking about manque. My guest was talking about, you know, film versus digital. And marriage stories. Oh, yeah. That was done on film. And you can use you can kind of tell. And he he wishes that manque would have been on film as well. So that was an interesting point. Where Yeah, I

3:00
remember I was watching the credits. When I was watching the credits for manque. I saw I saw red and I was like red. We

3:07
should. Yeah, we can listeners can go back to that if they want. But basically, my my guess was like, Yeah, he did so much to like, imitate film, why not just do it? And it would look better anyway. David Fincher has

3:21
the power to do that.

3:23
Yeah. And the abilities anyway. Yeah, so we’re gonna talk about on the rocks, but just before we do, I wanted to see, I understand you have a film project coming up? What can you tell us about it?

3:33
Yes. Okay. So, um, it’s on the seventh draft of the script is the script I’ve been working on. It’s the my feature film I’ve been working on. And it’s a script I’ve been working on for about a year. It’s, it’s gone through a bunch of different drafts. And it’s, if I could describe it, anything it’s going to be it’s going to be a very Howard Hawks in comedy. And, yeah, it’s, it’s, it’s going to be I don’t want to reveal any plot stuff right now. But it’s, it’s got, it’s got some musical numbers in it, which is cool. And there’s, yeah, there’s, there’s going to be some, it’s going to be a very fast paced dialogue, comedy, and I’m hoping to start building the funding campaign for it soon. It’s called a ballad of the West heads. And, yeah, it’s, it’s, it’s, yeah, I’m gonna build the crowdfunding campaign for that and start working on getting funding for it and reveal more about the project as it goes on. And yeah, I think yeah, I think it’s gonna be involves, you know, it’s got it’s got country music in it, singing Cowboys, it’s gonna be a fun time. So

4:59
that’s something super interesting. Yeah, well, please share with me any crowd crowd funding stuff, and I’ll push it out on our house garage, Facebook and stuff. Because Yeah, that sounds great. You mentioned something to me earlier, too, about a blog, what’s up with the blog? You know,

5:14
this year, there was a lot of there, there, there comes a lot of anxiety with filmmaking, which is I love writing so much. And when you know, COVID happened, and we didn’t even know, you know, there was a lot of questions on would life ever be the same? And, you know, a lot of my questions was, oh, what I ever like, I, I, I love making movies, and I want to keep making movies. And I love writing. And I was like, Oh, well, I’m going to create. And so recently, I had the idea, why don’t I create a blog, so I have this outlet I can go to, and it can never be taken away from me. Unless, like, the internet does, like shuts down forever, or something. But it’s like an outlet. So I’ve been creating a blog. It’s gonna be like a comedy blog. And it’s actually on my website. It’s going to be on my website, my film website. Nice. And, yeah, so I’m doing that. And I’m gonna have the funding for my new movie, stuff information on that website, too. So yeah, it’s just kind of a creative creative hub for myself, and a way to platform projects and stuff and blog a little and I love writing funny little stuff. So put stuff on there like that. And yeah, yeah, I, I’m very excited about doing that. And that’s going to be I’m going to start really working on the blog soon. And then the funding stuff is going to come out soon. So there’s a lot A lot, a lot A lot of stuff on the horizon and on the interwebs

6:51
for the people. That’s great. Yeah, I agree. Like 2020 has been such a crazy year that it’s been really helpful to have some creative outlet. For me, it’s this podcast and then kind of keeping some Yeah, something that’s kind of normal that I can keep working on. And lucky for you

7:05
You never you never did the podcast like with people and

7:11
pretty much always been remote. I think we’re headed the gay first couple of them in person. But yeah, it works better remote anyway. So there you go. Well, yeah, that looks sounds great. So I’ll definitely link to that too. Once that’s going. I can’t wait to to check that out. Well, let’s talk about on the rocks. Hi, dad. Hey, kiddo.

7:40
Oh my gosh, you look beautiful. Cliff. How’s your mom’s hair?

7:43
Good things. Good.

7:45
He thinks you’re my girlfriend.

7:46
All right, then busy. Yeah. Dee’s traveling with clients all the time. And I’m just the bus calculating the schedule things.

7:55
I’m so stuck. So Dean’s going away a lot of business Rich Dad. Raise your hand if that sounds fishy.

8:05
Like you is a good Bike Week dad.

8:08
Sure. Its nature. Males are forced to fight to dominate and to impregnate

8:18
babies just not interested in anymore.

8:20
impossible for a woman’s that are most beautiful between the ages of 35 and 39.

8:25
Great,

8:26
so I have many months left.

8:30
Back in Town been busy? Yeah. Got a lot going on. He should be worshiping the ground you walk out and if he’s doing something dishonorable, you need to know

8:42
what he’s just busy. I don’t know. Right. That’s it.

8:45
I think we should follow it.

8:47
Like,

8:47
I think you better see him in action.

8:49
This is your idea of incognito.

8:59
Here’s the plaza. This is the place fair has the most exits, exits on three streets.

9:08
Can you just act a

9:09
little less excited about this? Because this is my life might be falling apart?

9:15
I don’t know why women get plastic surgery

9:17
because of men like you. I prefer the factory originally. Yeah, and every other make and model.

9:26
Thank you. I’m gonna take that as Trump.

9:29
Alright, let’s talk about on the rocks. So this is a new film from director Sophia Coppola. And it reunites her with Bill Murray. Murray plays Felix, who is the father of Rashida Jones character, Laura. Laura has reason to suspect that her husband is cheating on her. And so she and her father, who is this kind of larger than life character, decided to kind of play detective and follow him around, trying to catch them in the act. Along the way, we get lots of funny conversations about the way Felix sees the world. He’s gonna of a playboy. He talks a lot about gender dynamics in ways that are problematic maybe and funny. At the same time, he really wants his daughter to be in a happy, healthy marriage, even though I keep saying that men are not capable of being faithful and that sort of thing. So that tension is really funny. That’s kind of the basics of it. One of the things that’s, I feel like it’s kind of a defining thing about this movie is that it’s set in New York City. James, I think from the first time I met you, I knew I found out really quickly you love New York. And you can see that in your filmmaking, I think. And now you live there. So I wanted to see what what do you think about New York City as the backdrop for the setting, maybe compared to other New York movies? Or did you enjoy the New York aspect of it?

10:48
Yeah, if you set a movie in New York, and there’s cocktails, and people drinking and drinking cocktails at cool restaurants, I’m gonna probably enjoy it. It’s just, it’s something I I just enjoy looking at it. It’s nice. And growing up in Arkansas, New York always felt like this kind of magical world where people pop champagne and drank cocktails and roamed around the city to jazz music. And it just, it always felt magical. And I feel like this movie captures that a little bit. Yeah, like, old older movies that I felt very. I think about the movie. Balls of Fire by Howard Hawks. It’s like 1941 and that is kind of the it’s like a comedy of manners in New York. And that’s, you know, this kind of reminded me of that, like his girl Friday, like movies like that kind of the cocktail party. New York kind of movie.

11:50
Yeah. Yeah, no, I agree. I think my point of reference probably is like, I just felt a lot like madmen like the show Mad Men ease to watch that a lot. And yeah, yeah, the fancy restaurants. They’re eating like extravagant lunches in and that kind of thing. And that’s, that’s kind of the, the life Bill Murray’s character wants to be living. Yeah, there’s just some great moments zooming around the city in his convertible jazz music in the fact that they’re in New York, I think really does add like a layer of fun to, to those scenes into this whole movie. Yeah.

12:19
And I think that there’s something about I like the contrast because I feel like Rashida Jones character’s life is very modern. Yeah. You know, you have a lot of laptops, and then at laptops out phones, and when she goes to hang out with Bill Murray, everything feels very old, New York and yeah, I’d like I really enjoy that contrast. I

12:42
noticed that movie. Yeah, I didn’t think about it that in those terms, like, definitely in their personalities and kind of their worldviews, but then yeah, even in their homes and like, the restaurants he wants to go to the car that’s like breaking down the whole time because it’s so old, like, yeah, has an old school feel to it the way he dresses even he’s always in like a three piece suit. Yeah, he’s

13:02
he’s got like the calf when he’s in the car. Love it.

13:06
That’s great. Well, as we were texting and talking about this movie, before the podcast, you mentioned that you had some information about like the inspiration for it and a little behind the scenes stuff. I have a little of that info too. But yeah, share with us, kind of what you know about Coco’s inspiration for this.

13:22
So I was listening to her interview on armchair expert, that scheppers podcast and she talked, she talked about the Thin Man, which I love the Thin Man, I haven’t seen the other than man movies, but the original Thin Man movie is about a husband and wife that solve cases for fun. And, like solve detective cases for fun, and it’s in I think, she said, she took a lot of inspiration for this because she liked the idea of instead of a husband and wife who solved a case for fun. I, father and daughter solve a case for fun. And I think that she got a lot of inspiration from that. And she kind of, I think, like me, I think that’s why I connected this movie. Coppola fangs, a lot of inspiration in the, you know, champagne, New York movies, you know, the fun, penthouse films, and I think she kind of wanted to do a modern version of that, which is really cool. And yeah, so the kind of the thin man the idea of two people who have a relationship together doing solving something for fun. Yeah. And I like I like that when people in movies are like real people. And they do a movie thing like a solving a case. It was really fun to solve a case in real life. Yeah, that’s kind of what Bill Murray’s character is trying to do.

14:53
Yeah, he has that sense of kind of like, I don’t know fun about life and he do get us into like, it’s a fun game. For him even though it’s a she’s concerned for her marriage, that it could fall apart. Yeah. I think that’s dynamic, too.

15:07
That’s what I like. Yeah. Yeah. I like that. He’s, you know, he’s like, This will be fun. And she’s like, this is my life. I think that’s fun. Yeah,

15:14
I watched Sophia Coppola on I think, as indie wire interview, and she mentioned that, or maybe I read this in or I read a few different kind of interviews with her about this. I’ll find it and link it in the show notes. But she, she talked about a friend of hers who basically had a similar situation, she and her father, I don’t not sure if it was an infidelity thing. But she had this friend of hers and her friend’s father investigated something. And she thought that was such a funny thing. She said in the interview that she hadn’t really seen a father daughter dynamic like that in a movie before. And I thought that would be an interesting thing to, to bring into this. And that was part of her inspiration for the story. That was pretty interesting. I wanted to talk about Bill Murray and this because he’s, he’s one of my favorite actors. Honestly, I really liked him for a long time. And there’s so much to his character to like, I think his character in this is really interesting. And like, I think you’re meant to feel probably conflicted about him. There’s so much about the gender dynamics that he’s talking about. And even the things he’s saying are interesting things. Even though Yeah, some of the things he’s saying are kind of terrible. We can talk about that. But I wanted to see what was your sense of his, his performance, and then also just his character in this movie?

16:33
Well, Bill Murray, I feel like Bill Murray has the magic of he can just show up and be Bill Murray. And it’s work. You’re going to look like east if you just if you have Bill Murray, whether it’s Garfield to Tale of Two Kitties are a Wes Anderson movie or Tootsie if when Bill Murray shows up, you’re, you’re going to be excited. And I think in this movie, it’s kind of interesting, because you have Sophia Coppola, who’s the daughter of Francis Ford Coppola. And then you have Rashida Jones, who’s the daughter of Quincy Jones. Yes.

17:09
Yeah.

17:10
And it’s two people who do have a father daughter dynamic where they have father’s from an older era of Hollywood and older time. And Bill Murray’s character. I feel like he does capture he captures an older time, a different time. And there’s something there at some points. It’s magical. Like we were saying at some points. It’s like, oh, man, that’s, that’s, that’s not good, what he just said. But I think that’s kind of where the charm is that he’s, he’s authentically himself. And his, and her his daughter dealing with that and trying to, it’s almost like, she can’t even correct it anymore. Because it’s just like a way of how he is now.

17:57
Yeah. Yeah, I think that was a familiar feeling. And those moments when he’s just like, going off the rails, and you can tell she’s like, screaming inside, but like, what do you do? Like, what can you do in that situation? He probably felt that way with people the older generation before. And I think it captures that. Yeah, feeling well. Yeah, he’s so he’s so interesting. He’s so obsessed with sex. And he kind of makes no bones about that. He’s talking about it all the time. Yeah, he even talks about like, the evolution of desire, and like the science of that, which actually got really interesting. But in the context he’s in, it’s like, read the room. This is not the appropriate time to talk about this, ya know, even all that he’s saying are true, but it was interesting thing that he’s telling her daughters to, like, learn to shuffle.

18:40
Yeah. And have long hair and, and just, yeah, very, it’s funny, but it’s like, oh, this is Yeah, the Times have changed. Yeah.

18:50
He’s self awareness that like, is not appropriate. Yeah. Talk about in this conversation. And yeah,

18:57
I think there’s a really moment I noticed every time when she’s like, picking up her daughter from dance class, and Bill Murray, is like with her. And Bill Murray tries to like put on this charm for the dance teacher. Yeah. And the dance teacher and Rashida Jones are but just like, okay, by like, the dance teachers, like what is this old man doing? Like, what is he? it you can see, like in certain bahding modern settings is his old ways or not? Yeah. Working.

19:27
Yeah, it’s so much because he he’s insanely charming, like, over the top charming. And that’s he’s bringing the bill murray charm to that in this role. But then he uses that in ways that come off as really creepy. And yet, those kind of moments where he just like, it’s being obviously kind of making, not making advances Exactly. But like, clearly he’s open to that. He’s kind of putting himself out there in that way. And it’s, yeah, it’s inappropriate. And then the things he’s saying too about. He’s always All men are dogs, man, men. Can’t be faithful to one woman for their whole lives. And he’s like, just going on and on about that and Rashida Jones character, Laura’s is laughing it off and trying to like, I think we as the audience are like, maybe in your time that was like an accepted thing, but like, times have changed, like, really our time to change. But at the same time, Rashida Jones is like, internal fear of like, What if he’s right? What if my husband is cheating? And I think it balances that tension really well, like you can see that in her performance and understand how she’s feeling. Even though we feel some disgust at what Bill Murray’s saying, the I think it’s a nicely complex kind of thing.

20:39
And I and I do think I think only Bill Murray could play this kind of role and 2020 Yeah, because I feel like because it’s Bill Murray, you feel safe? You don’t. He might be saying some things that have another old man said it, you’d be like, ah, but because Bill Murray saying it. You’re like, Bill Murray. He’s saying it with john. Right. Yeah.

21:00
Yeah. And I think it’s what it does to that my probably my favorite scene, the movie comes kind of later on, they have all these conversations over the whole thing. There’s a lot of just dialogue, I think it’s all really well written. And he talks about the first time he remember seeing her as a person when she was a child. And that was that was a beautiful moment. He tells the story. Yeah. And and he just like, suddenly, I realized, like, you’re a little human, like, you’re a little person with your own. Your own desires and your own life, you know, and I can Yeah, he says, The quote, and he just says, and there you were, I saw you. And like he had, obviously he’d known her since she was born. But like, in that moment, he saw her. And that that, yeah, maybe it’s the parent and me, but I was like that, that really, like hit in a way that I didn’t have those moments with my kids where I just like, see them as a full person, where I can in day in and day out just like okay, these are the little humans I have to take care of. Yeah, but then like those

21:57
moments, yeah. And also you are a part you’re a part of their story. Yeah, that as a as your you know, parents are a part of every humans story no matter what. I think that’s Yeah, that is a really beautiful that is a really beautiful it see that’s the thing you’ll have moments Yeah, he said some very beautiful stuff. And

22:17
I so I think the the thing this movie does really well is it it almost gives us that experience about Bill Murray like we can see the charm we can see that the gross things about him but then we can we kind of see him as a full person too. Because we Yeah, we there’s some things where he talks about his his internal struggles, and especially like, his marriage with Rashida Jones mother, which ended a long time ago and he cheated on her that that’s like an open fact. And he talks about kind of what he was going through emotionally at that time. And I think it does, it just helps you to see him as a person, which you know, was what a good screen man and screenwriter does is his show those those human things. So I think it does that really well. And I think Bill Murray nailed that. Yeah. The other thing about Bill Murray is that he has, I mean, early on his career was all comedy, comedy, comedy, and he’s so good at that. But then, as he got older, we started seeing this more serious and like in lost in translation, for instance, also Sofia Coppola. Yeah. And I think this movie kind of gives him both of those things in a cool way. Like he gets to be big and funny, but then you also can can have a serious moments too. So I appreciate the movie for that as well.

23:24
He’s got a good you can get a good close up on him looking sad. And and he can tell 100 stories on his face. Yeah. From just look, the heat. He’s got a natural raw talent as an actor, and not a lot of performers have this, which is they can tell a story on their face without doing anything. Nice.

23:47
Yes. And especially as he’s gotten older, you can just see. Yeah, he’s got a storied face. Yeah, that’s pretty good way to put it. Well, what do you think about Rashida Jones in this? She’s really central to this film. It’s probably the most screentime I’ve seen her in anything, I think. Are you a fan of her outside of this? And what do you think of her here?

24:07
Yeah, yes. I I really like Rashida Jones. And also she’s she’s partners with the lead singer of Vampire Weekend as Canaan and know that and I’m a huge Vampire Weekend fan. So yeah, so So already you know I’m already team Rashida because she was with with Ezra and I love a love Vampire Weekend, but I’ve always been a fan of her. I thought she was she’s great on the office. I think she was great on Parks and Recreation. I think she was great on was she isn’t the she’s the the social number. Yeah, that’s right. Yeah, she, I’ve always liked. I really do like her. I don’t think she is a very likable way about her.

24:46
Yeah, I agree with that. And I was coming to this thinking. I was I was just thinking about her and I’m kind of wondering like, how much range does she have because in most, most things, I’ve seen her in her sitcoms and that kind of stuff, but I think she does a good job. With with the dramatic scenes in this Yeah. And more than anything, I think that their chemistry and their dynamic is really strong. Yeah, like I don’t think she won an Oscar for her dramatic acting in this, but I think it was it was solid. So yeah, I was a fan of her too. She

25:12
holds her out. Yeah.

25:14
Yeah, I think so which next Bill Murray can’t can’t be an easy task. But yeah, like not only holds her own, but I think they shine together in a lot of these scenes. Yeah,

25:23
their chemistry really does well, because I think Rashida Jones is just very, she just feels like a very natural, real person. And I think she plays natural dialogue really well, especially in this movie. And in the scenes with Bill Murray. It’s kind of fun to see like, old school this and this just kind of very natural modern day person interacting. And I think that’s what makes their chemistry work. At first. I was like, I don’t first I was like, I hope these two have chemistry. And then as it went on, I was like, Oh, I think this is this is working. They I think they do well it. She does well at reacting to the things he says. Even if she doesn’t, there’s I’ve ever there’s one line where he says something. I don’t remember what he says something and she says, Wow, that would be perfect for you or something. And the way she reads it is so layered. Like, okay, whatever. Yeah. Yeah, I think she does a good job.

26:26
There’s one of my favorite lines in it. She says it’s after he talks his way another ticket, which that scene is really funny to me, because I felt like it was pretty predictable. Like what was going to happen? He’s going to charm his way out of this. And yet it was still so fun to watch it even though I knew it was gonna happen because Bill Murray does turtle

26:42
Exactly.

26:43
So well. And that scene two shows this. I think this movie makes no bones about like, he’s a very privileged person. He’s really rich. All these people have a lot of money. Yeah, yeah. Especially Bill Murray. And he’s, he’s unaware of his privilege in a way that that probably Rashida Jones and her husband aren’t. Yeah, but yeah, and that scene towards the end effort after he smashes the cop and they get out of it. She says to him, it must be very nice to be you. And he says, I wouldn’t have it any other way. That was a perfect distillation of their relationship and his character. There.

27:19
Yeah, it was. That was it. That was a really funny scene that he just knew some data from his dad or something. And that was a very classic old man, older man and in the city kind of thing. Which is funny. And yeah, he Yeah, I like I like that. He’s like, unaware of how he schmoozes his way out of things pretty easily and has a lot of privilege in his life. And I like how rasheeda can like pointed out to him, but he didn’t, he will still come back with the snarky lie. Yeah,

27:55
yeah, this

27:56
is fun. Yeah. Well, how

27:58
familiar are you with Sofia Coppola? I’d like Her other films. And how does this compare for you? I can actually list them really quick just for for the listeners. Let me pull up her filmography and I’ll tell which ones I’ve seen. So I haven’t seen all of her movies but I think about half of them I have something

28:16
I’ve missed like a few of them when you read now,

28:21
so her breakout her first feature was the Virgin Suicides which I’ve actually not seen but then have seen lost in great loss in translation, which I love I saw that in collagen I really really love that one. Marie Antoinette I’ve seen but it’s been a long time and I don’t remember too much about it. And then somewhere and then the Bling Ring. And I think that’s all her own the beguiled who is her most recent. Okay, so

28:45
I haven’t I haven’t seen the Bling Ring but I’ve seen I’ve seen Yeah, I love I like the Virgin Suicides is great. Lost in Translation as fat loss in translation was the what it was a movie I remember when I first watched it. I think I watched it when I was in high school maybe. And I think it was one of the the first times I really got to see the dynamics of coloring in a movie. Yeah, like I’ve way movies colored what colors it’s using. And I I mean, we subconsciously notice this stuff all the time when we grew up watching movies, but I think that movie was the first time I had noticed from a modern contemporary movie, like the coloring really having an effect on the mood.

29:33
Yeah, those city lights and neons and yeah,

29:36
yeah. You always have those movies when you when you kind of when you’re in that high school college phase that you start when you’re watching them. You start noticing things that have always been there but you really noticing them. Yeah, lost in translation was one of those movies. And I think all the coloring on all of our movies are great. Somewhere is great. Yeah, I saw a guy old. I saw the bug out a few years. ago I remember I went alone to see it at the rave I remember. And I just remember not really having a good time watching it. It was kind of a little too bleak for me. But this movie, I really I, I’ve enjoyed I really enjoyed i think it’s it’s very different than I think people people would jump the gun on movies when they’re like about to come out because they’re like, oh, Sofia Coppola and Bill Murray are back together. It’s going to be like lost in translation. Yeah. It’s just very different movies. Awesome. Translation is a little more of a mood film. Yeah, environment film, and on the rocks is a little more of like a Hangout movie. You know, fun time. Yeah. So it’s very, it’s very different. And I like that she has that great range. I think on the rocks is definitely more my kind of movie than lost in translation. But I you know, still think lost in translation is your masterpiece. Yeah, so I think it it just adds to the catalog of her range,

31:06
I think. Yeah, I agree. It does feel different as of the ones I’ve seen. So I’ve not seen Virgin Suicides or at the Bling Ring or the beguiled but I’ve seen the others. It feels lighter in a lot of ways. I think even though it’s not the lightest movie ever. Like it’s there’s some heaviness there, but yeah, it has a lot in common. I think we’ve lost in translation, like you’re saying, obviously Bill Murray and and a female, you know, the relationship dynamic is really different. But then it reminded me of somewhere to in that. I feel like it’s the old the old guy older. Yeah. Kind of that that too. Yeah, like old school guy. Yeah, for sure. I didn’t think of that. But yeah, I was gonna say just the way you got to really pay attention to the details. Like I think someone could watch someone could watch somewhere in this thing I heard and say like, nothing happened to that movie, you know. And, and I think you could almost say the same thing about on the rocks. Like, the plot is, and there’s a lot of plotting things that happen. But it’s more about the subtext. Yeah, I think so. Yeah. And it does it feels slider maybe then then a lot of for other things. But yeah, I really enjoyed it. And she said in some interviews, too, like she was just in the mood for something lighter to create. And yeah, that’s what we good god that’s what we needed this year. Right? It’s something a little lighter. Thank you.

32:25
I that’s what I was gonna say I have like a year I don’t you know, I this this the kind of we sometimes we need a pal around with Bill Murray. And drink cocktails and a movie and just have a good time. You know, not everything’s gonna be so bleak.

32:39
Yeah, exactly. while still having some depth to it, which is what’s perfect because it is it’s so light and breezy. But there’s still some things to to hang on to still humanity. Yeah,

32:48
I I totally agree. She made a Netflix special, which I’ve also not seen called a very Merry Christmas, which has been Marina. And apparently,

32:56
I have seen that.

32:57
Yeah, it’s pretty funny. She said that she noticed that Rashida Jones and him just had a good chemistry making that says she didn’t realize she was in that until I read that earlier today, but and that was another reason she put them together in this, which I thought was interesting. Yeah,

33:13
I forgot about it very Marie.

33:15
I need to watch. I mean, it’s Christmas time. Now I can pull it out and put it on. It’s on Netflix. I

33:20
think there’s a great moment. The great thing, when we’re talking about a very Merry Christmas. I also think that Bill Murray in this movie has a lot of moments where he he’s like singing. And Bill Murray used to do that character on SNL where he was like the crooner singing. And I like that he does. I like that he kind of does a little bit of that, that stuff in this movie. And there’s a really great scene where he’s when they go to the resort, and he’s singing with this group. And there’s a guy playing guitar, and he just is just, it’s like, a moment where he’s like singing and there’s a lot of like, passion in the ways singing and it’s Yeah, really a magical moment. Yeah. And I feel like that’s a theme with Bill Murray. He has some moments where he, you know, you feel like there’s a crooner in him that wants to come out.

34:13
Yeah, that is a great moment. It’s so sweet. And I like I really enjoyed it. Well, at the same time, you can kind of see why Rashida Jones would like roll her eyes a little bit at it just because like, yeah, my dad’s been dad again. And so it captures both of those things. But yeah, I really, I thought it was a great moment in the movie to Yeah, one more thing I want to say about this movie is just I think the writing of it is really solid. So we’ve talked a lot about how it kind of pits old school versus modern a little bit and just the characters these two people together. But I think it does a good job to of kind of really putting us into Rashida Jones headspace, which I think a lot of that’s in the performance for probably a lot of it’s in the script to like it opens with I think it’s his voice saying don’t give up. to any boys and like you feel that there’s a immediately gendered into like this protective father, your mom. Yeah, remember your mind and yeah, this father daughter relationship and just immediately bringing to mind like, if when you get married you leave your parents to some degree and like that, that Father daughter relationship can be a beautiful thing, but also kind of tricky at that moment of marriage, right? It’s a kind of weird thing. And then early on to she’s watching TV, and she sees Chris Rock, and he’s talking about how he’s making jokes about how married people don’t have sex as much as unmarried people. Yeah. And so it’s immediately bring, like, bring to mind marriage and like marital problems. So that was a clever way to do that. And then that moment at the beginning, when she first starts to suspect is really well done, I think, yeah, her husband comes home, which is Marlon Wayans, who’s really good here too. And a dramatic role.

35:55
Marlon Wayans doesn’t get enough credit. he’s a he’s a great actor. He’s good and Requiem for a Dream, too. When he’s when he’s not doing the scary movie movies. Or what was that one he made? It was like sex tuplets or what I

36:09
think a lot of this when he silly comedies, when

36:11
he’s not doing those spoof the parody movies like The spoof movies, he when he does dramatic stuff, He’s really good.

36:19
Yeah, and he’s great in this and he so he comes home from a business trip and like, immediately starts kind of kissing her and getting frisky a little. And she says, Hi. And then he like, pulls back and looks at her like, like, like, he doesn’t recognize her for a second. Or he’s really shocked for some reason. And he goes, Yeah, which is such a weird little moment. Yeah, like, immediately. She’s thinking, he thought it was someone else. And like, then we’re thinking that and I thought that was a really good way and a creative way to, to set up the initial kind of conflict of this. And yeah, and I think it does a good job to we we don’t need to spoil the ending, I guess. But the all the reason she’s suspicious, like, it really takes us on that right to have like, is he or Isn’t he cheating on her? And I think that that part of it as well. well written, it’s it’s subtle enough that it’s not obvious when we’re together.

37:11
Yeah. And much like the Thin Man, I think it does the mystery and comedy kind of well, and sets up the mystery. Well, and it takes though the audience kind of on a little trip. Yeah. And arrived. Yeah, the writing is, is fantastic. And the dialogue is fun. There’s another line, I was remembering where she mentions a hotel he staying at and Bill Murray goes, raise your hand if that sounds suspicious. And I just think, yeah,

37:41
it’s so funny, too. Like, he’s a businessman. So he knows all the hotels in London. He’s like, Oh, I wouldn’t Yeah, I wouldn’t go there on a business trip. You know, like, so he’s just has all this weird knowledge because he’s such an old school, New York businessman. There’s another line. I just thought up to you that she says that since she was pregnant for the first time she forgot how to like she can’t whistle. Like she can’t. She’s trying but she can’t. And he’s just he just thinks that’s so weird. And he says no kid of mine is going to stop whistling it’s just such a funny Bill Murray delivery that. Yeah, that moment just really made me laugh. It’s such a weird little thing. But yeah, well, that is on the rocks. It sounds like we both recommend this pretty highly.

38:25
Yeah, I think it’s a great you know, it’s a really good I describe it. It’s a good movie to watch with your mom. I think it’s Yeah, mom.

38:33
Yeah, I agree. It feels it’s pretty like not family friendly. Like hands but like yeah, for for like grown grown folks go into the movie together. Or I could see this for a date night or something. Like it’s it’s uh, yeah, it again it’s light without being you know, frivolous? I think it does. It has some weight to it. It’s I’m trying to think like, I don’t know if this is gonna be in like my top of the year it might be because I do think it’s really strong. But yeah, anyway, we’ll see how that pans out. But I do think it’s a really, it’s a good movie. Yeah,

39:04
Apple TV. They’re doing interesting stuff.

39:06
So yeah, in a 24 hour, which is interesting that their first partnership together with with a 24 made this movie I think they have a contract with at&t for to do like four more movies or three more movies or something. And this is the first one. So good partnership so far.

39:21
A 24 is releasing all their movies on HBO. Max.

39:25
You I I’m so interested to see happens with all of that, but we’ll see. Yeah. Well, thanks so much for coming back on the podcast. James. I think it’s been a great discussion and problem. Yeah, I’d love to have you back

39:38
Android as always a positive. Well,

39:40
thank you so much.

39:44
Thank you so much for listening to this episode of art house garage. We’ve got a few years worth of episodes now and you can hear all of those in your podcast app of choice. If you want to support our house garage, leave a rating or review in your podcast app. Or you can buy an art house garage t shirt and art house garage. COMM slash shop, stay in the loop but art house garage and the films we’re covering by subscribing to our email newsletter at art house garage comm slash subscribe or you can email me directly Andrew at art house garage COMM And of course follow on social media. You can find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and letterbox just search at our house garage and all those places or find links in the show notes. And that will do it for this episode. Thank you again so much for listening and until next time, keep it snop free

Transcribed by https://otter.ai