Is Bill Murray's Performance Strong Enough To Save 'St. Vincent' From Critics' Sneers?

Critics have plenty to say about St. Vincent, the soon-to-be-released comedy drama written and directed by Theodore Melfi, but not all of it is as positive as the film.

Bill Murray and Melissa McCarthy star in St. Vincent.

St. Vincent follows Vincent (Bill Murray), a lonely, cash strapped war veteran who is forced to look at his own life when a single mother Maggie (Melissa McCarthy) and her young son Oliver (Jaeden Lieberher) move in next door. Vincent decides to gain some extra cash by babysitting Oliver after school and chaos ensues when it unsurprisingly transpires he's not an ideal babysitter. Throw in a pregnant Russian stripper (Naomi Watts) and a Catholic priest (Chris O'Dowd) and there's certainly something more to St. Vincent.

But what do the critics think? Here's a quick rundown of the top critics' main points:

Bill Murray

Murray certainly is the focus of many reviews and his performance is widely praised. Betsy Sharkey (LA Times) states the praise for Murray is "well deserved". Variety's critic further claims the strength of the film rests almost entirely on Murray's shoulders as the comedic aspects of his character force the action. Peter Debruge (Variety) wrote "With St.Vincent, the chief pleasure is comedy, which typically arises from waiting to discover what Bill Murray might do next." Debruge also described Murray as "a brilliant physical comedian."

Chris O'Dowd stars in St. Vincent.

The Supporting Cast

Almost all the supporting cast, with the exception of McCarthy, have gained largely positive reviews. O'Dowd and Watts have been highly praised for their roles with O'Dowd described as "typically likeable" and Watts as a "terrifying wrecking-ball" (LA Times). 12-year-old Lieberher has also drawn the critics eye and will no doubt go far. The Guardian describes his performance as "terrific, with lovely deadpan delivery that manages to pull off an awful lot of doleful savantary."

Clichéd

St. Vincent may be sweet and funny but it's quite similar to a number of films we've all seen before, or so critics claim. Todd McCarthy (THR) wrote cynically of the film's sentiment, stating: "Melfi has laid on the heart of gold stuff so sincerely that mainstream audiences might just eat it up. There's good in every soul, the film endeavours to say; it's just a question of finding it."

Ultimately, it may be Murray's performance which saves the film from the critics' wrath but the supporting cast have also been highly praised. The failings may not lie with the cast or director but with the film's over-sentimental finale and themes. As the BBC's critic Owen Gleiberman states "Bill Murray deserves a better movie."

St. Vincent is released in US cinemas on 24th October and in the UK on 5th December.

Watch: The Movie Trailer For St. Vincent:

Naomi Watts stars as pregnant stripper in St. Vincent.