'On the Rocks' is the seventh feature film from Sofia Coppola, director of 'Lost in Translation' and 'Somewhere.'
Something about this film never felt 100% right to me from the moment it was announced. I think it was the title - it just didn't feel very "Sofia" to me. Other films in her cannon - 'Lost in Translation,' 'Somewhere,' and though not her original work, she kept the title of her 'The Virgin Suicides' adaptation - all have a certain abstract aesthetic to them.
As I was watching her new one, I found myself putting her films into the standard categories. For example:
The Virgin Suicides was her debut - her statement of who she is, and her influences.
Lost in Translation was her vision, her indie opus.
Marie Antoinette was her big, Hollywood production.
And so on.
Which led to On the Rocks, a film that instantly felt, as I viewed it for the first time, like her transition film. It's unknown yet what that transition is exactly, but it's clear she's seeking change. Nothing drastic, as this was clearly a Sofia Coppola film, but at the same time this was the first instance where I felt I could understand one questioning whether it was hers, or perhaps a Sofia-inspired newcomer (remember, Sofia has already been directing for over 20 years now). This is not a criticism. Far from it. Just an observation.
So does this mean you didn't like it? No! I really enjoyed it. Less so for the "Sofia aesthetic" as it was reduced down quite a lot. What really drove this one was the performances. One would argue the same for 'Lost in Translation' which is a fair point, but there is so much of her aesthetic applied across every element of that film, that I think "yes," as good as Bill and Scarlett were, it was the visuals, the style, the music, etc. that would carry the film regardless of who was cast as the leads. With 'On the Rocks,' it's all about the performances and their chemistry. Murray's character has some slightly questionable behaviors, but he's just as charming, and convincingly portrayed. Rashida Jones as his daughter does a great job handling his character, which of course in turns builds her character - so they play off each other well in that way that makes a slightly dysfunctional father-daughter relationship, from either of their points of view, work. I'm not saying they're Oscar-worthy or something to that degree, but they are performances worth making time for, in my view.
What is Sofia aiming for next? Will she have moved on from what's made her films uniquely identifiable as "Sofia Coppola films," the same way one would describe "a David Lynch film"? Or maybe she was off her game a bit here? I have no predictions as to what's in store, as really I'm most likely wrong on this. But that's what I felt. And yes, I definitely recommend this, especially if her previous films have spoken to you in any way.
Stick that in your pipe and smoke it.
On the Rocks is available for streaming on Apple TV+
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