St. Vincent

New to DVD and Blu-ray is first-timer Theodore Melfi's wonderfully written and smartly directed big hearted film, "St. Vincent."

"St. Vincent" is the story of recently divorced Maggie (Melissa McCarthy) and her 12 year-old son Oliver (newcomer Jaeden Lieberher), forced to move to their home-of-late in Brooklyn. There, they find friendship in the most unlikely of neighbors, malcontented War Veteran and next-door neighbor Vincent (Bill Murray). As a result of being bullied at school and Maggie's crazy work schedule, Oliver is baby-sat by Vincent but soon heads to the race track, the local bar, and to hang with Vincent's pregnant lady-of-the-evening girlfriend Daka (Naomi Watts.) A most unusual friendship unfolds and little Oliver learns the way of the world through Vincent's eyes.

St. Vincent is a surprisingly remarkable film, given how it's been received with this passing awards season. Ignored by the Oscars, "St. Vincent" manages to eke out several nominations; the biggest being Golden Globe noms for Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical and Best Performance by an actor for Bill Murray; and Screen Actor's Guild Award nomination for Naomi Watts. Murray is at his best, there's no doubt about it. The supporting cast is, by far, one of the strongest to come along this year. Naomi Watts channels one of the most brilliant exhilarating performances of her career as the Russian stripper Daka. Melissa McCarthy pulls back just enough from her regular schtick, giving an honest, and heart-warming performance. The most dazzling performance (outside of Murray's) is by new comer Jaeden Lieberher, who could easily become the next Leonardo DiCaprio by child-actor standards. Lieberher's achievement as Oliver, Vincent's champion in a world which has discarded him, is elevating to watch. Those performances not-withstanding, a special mention to actress Donna Mitchell playing Vincent's wife, now suffering from Alzheimer's Disease in a local senior care facility. Mitchell's story-line is thick with sincerity and love. The entire film harkens back to the Walter Matthau's 1980 "Little Miss Marker" or even Murray's own "Meatballs," but with much more of a darker edge.

Regrettably, the newly released Blu-ray, isn't chock full of extras. There are over a dozen nice little deleted scenes and a thirty-minute featurette entitled "Bill Murray is St. Vincent: The Patron Saint of Comedy," featuring archival footage from a panel interview with the cast at last year's Toronto International Film Festival premiere and a mini-panel for an anniversary screening of Murray's "Ghostbusters." This, inter-spliced with clips from the film to pad it out, is fun to watch but leaves this viewer wanting to see so much more more. While it's always wonderful to see Murray as himself in action, I wish Anchor Bay could have given us even more extras, perhaps even an audio commentary with the film's director and actors. That being said, this sleeper-hit of a film needs its time and blessings in the light of day along with the year's bests of the best of great story-telling miracles.

A-
"St. Vincent" Anchor Bay Entertainment and The Weinstein Company
Blu-ray & Digital HD or DVD - $29.98-$34.99
http://www.anchorbayentertainment.com/detail.aspx?ProjectId=795003ec-2d40-e411-88c5-d4ae527c3b65