Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

St. Vincent Blu-ray Movie Review

Saint or sinner?

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 17, 2015

"Looks can be deceiving," the old adage says. Take, for example, St. Vincent, Writer/Director Theodore Melfi's debut feature film about a down-on-his luck aging nobody who turns out to be quite the remarkable man when someone takes the time to look beyond the façade. The movie, too, proves substantially different than its cheery box cover suggests. Underneath a basic premise that will immediately remind viewers of Bad Grandpa and beyond the somewhat dryly funny opening act, the film matures into a heartwarming look at the difference a life can make, even a life lived by an outwardly burned-out, empty-pocketed, gambling-addicted, heavily drinking ne'er-do-well. It's a remarkable little movie considering the very even yet drastic curve the movie takes from start to finish. It's a bit simplistic but it's all heart, a quality that certainly supersedes whatever little shortcomings that spring up here and there, elevating the film from basic rehash to saintly Drama that may not leave any watching eye dry or any open heart unfulfilled by film's end.

Vincent and Daka.

Vincent (Bill Murray) is deep in debt, drinks too much, and finds comfort in the arms of a pregnant hooker named Daka (Naomi Watts). One day, a moving van crashes into a tree in his yard. A branch falls on his car and further destroys his lawn, some of the preexisting damage due to his own negligent driving. It turns out the moving van was hired by his new neighbor, Maggie (Melissa McCarthy), a divorced mother of one who works as a hospital technician. Their relationship gets off to a rocky start, to say the least. When Maggie's young son Oliver (Jaeden Lieberher) is beaten and robbed at school, he comes home locked out of his house. Vincent takes him and demands he be paid to babysit. Maggie reluctantly agrees, and her long hours mean Vincent has a lot of time to show Oliver the ropes of life: he teaches the boy how to defend himself, he takes him to the race track, and he exposes him to the various sins of an aging old man. Yet he also reveals his tender side when he takes Oliver to meet his wife Sandy (Donna Mitchell), who no longer recognizes him, in her nursing home. Will Oliver find the best in his curmudgeonly neighbor, or will his off-putting ways, combined with a protective mother, end their relationship sooner rather than later?

Indeed, Vincent isn't exactly what one would call a role model or model citizen. He carries his charge to bars and to the track, introduces him to terms like "lady of the night," and shares with him the not-so-cozy confines of his dilapidated home. But as Oliver learns, there's more to him than the sum of his sins. Vincent teaches Oliver the art of self defense and reveals a tender side when he pays regular visits to his hospitalized wife who no longer recognizes him but whom he still loves enough to launder her clothes, make sure she's being fed what she likes, and ensures she catch a few breaths of fresh air out in the open. The movie depicts Oliver unearthing the man nobody sees, in large part because, yes, looks and first impressions do matter but also because nobody takes the time to explore beyond the superficial, at least not when it comes to a man like Vincent. This is a story that shows that there's good in everyone, even in those who have seen life do some bad things to them, or at the very least allowed life to take its toll on their inward and outward beings alike. Oliver finds the best in Vincent and unravels his life for the better, revealing that mistakes are stumbles in, not destroyers of, life. He proves that even someone so outwardly broken as Vincent can be so inwardly prepared to rediscover life's purposes and regain control of life while rediscovering the joys of doing good for oneself and in the service of others.

Yet it's Murray's performance that pushes the film over the top. His portrayal of a wounded man whose mistakes have taken their toll is genuine and deep. His wounds mask the man Oliver ultimately uncovers, a man whose crude bits give way to a genuine, caring individual who oftentimes willingly does wrong and who oftentimes unwittingly does right. Murray plays it with a fair bit of his trademark dry humor added in for good measure, but it's his ability to so easily construct a beautifully deep individual whose pains are always evident in his eyes, leading the viewer right down to the holes in his soul, that makes the character and the film. It's almost a bit jarring to watch the film play out, emerging at first as something of a mildly crude Comedy and transform into a darker character study of a broken man and ultimately maneuver towards a tender, honest, and heartfelt finale. Murray's performance, particularly seeing it or thinking of it in hindsight, never betrays where the film is going or how the character will evolve, but at the same time he shows hints of every element lurking inside his character or, obviously, defining his physical being. It's a wonderfully nuanced effort and one of the best of his long and illustrious career.

St. Vincent Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

St. Vincent arrives on Blu-ray with a heavenly 1080p transfer. The film-sourced presentation is excellent, revealing fine-tuned details, precise colors, and a light grain overlay. Textures are outstanding throughout, aided by top-notch clarity. Facial features, subtle clothing details, wood and brick home details, and a variety of other minor elements, notably around Vincent's shoddy home, are beautifully presented and richly accurate in every shot. Colors, likewise, are vibrant and natural. Of note are the deep red bricks outside Vincent's home and beautiful natural greens that appear here and there throughout the movie. Black levels leave a bit to be desired, however, revealing a bit of excess crush. Flesh tones sometimes push a little warm. But these are small prices to pay for an otherwise first-class transfer from Anchor Bay.

St. Vincent Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

St. Vincent's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is frequently big and aggressive. The storytelling popular music plays with a huge stage presence and hefty surround support. It's a bit unkempt at the top but its power and full stage placement help mask any minor shortcomings. There are plenty of strongly defined sound effects throughout. Whether the deep low end of racehorses out of the gate or the revving work of a lawnmower engine, the track handles its more authoritative elements with realistic clarity and commendable ease. Minor ambient effects are detailed and enveloping, particularly heard around the houses where passing traffic, kids playing in the background, light breezes, and rustling leaves pull the listener into Vincent, Oliver, and Maggie's little corner of the world. Dialogue flows effortlessly and clearly from the center, and the spoken word enjoys a fruitful reverberation in Oliver's big end-film speech in front of a large auditorium.

St. Vincent Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

St. Vincent contains deleted scenes and a featurette. A UV digital copy voucher is included in the Blu-ray case.

• Deleted Scenes (1080p): Ocinski's Mom (0:46), Five Grand (1:27), Playing Basketball (0:25), Saint Oliver (0:37), I'm Seeing a Shrink (0:51), Life Insurance Policy (0:39), Vincent Gets Even (1:37), Oliver Succeeds (0:15), Oliver Strolls with Dad (0:29), Maggie and David (1:47), Breakfast (1:03), and Lunch with Sandy (0:43).
• Bill Murray Is St. Vincent: The Patron Saint of Comedy (1080p, 19:55): A Q&A session (with interwoven film clips) from the Toronto International Film Festival and the world premiere of St. Vincent with Writer/Director Theodore Melfi and Actors Bull Murray, Chris O'Dowd, Naomi Watts, Melissa McCarthy, and Jaeden Lieberher. Hosted by TIFF Artistic Director Cameron Bailey. Also included are bits from the TIFF Q&A for the 25th anniversary screening of Ghostbusters featuring Bill Murray, Director Ivan Reitman, and Scrooged Writer Mitch Glazer. The piece shifts back to the first group in its final minutes.

St. Vincent Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

St. Vincent is a somewhat dark film with a cheery overlay and an unmistakable tenderness that's slowly revealed as it pushes further towards its predictable yet honest and sincere finale. The picture finds a beautiful narrative flow through which characters don't so much evolve but are instead exposed for the people they really are, people who prove to be significantly more likable than the outward qualities suggest. It's basic human drama but done here remarkably well even in its rather simplistic wrappings. Several good performances -- including a knockout effort by Bill Murray who absolutely nails the part and all its inward and outward complexities -- are the finishing touches on one of the best little movies of 2014. Anchor Bay's Blu-ray release of St. Vincent features strong video and quality audio but falls short with only deleted scenes and a featurette making up the extra content field. Still, this release comes highly recommended on all its other merits.