On The Rocks: “Sobering” But Humorous Look At Marriage (Apple TV+)

This drama/comedy written and directed by Sofia Coppola has two threads subtly woven together in a short 90-minute film.  The most obvious theme is a marriage heading south.  Laura (Rashida Jones) is stressed out – she is having writer's block and is anxious and depressed.  The stress unraveling her is that she thinks her husband, Dean (Marlon Wayans), is having an affair, possibly with his pretty co-worker, Fiona (Jenny Slate), who seems to relate to Dean in overly-familiar ways.  Dean is an entrepreneur who is working 60+ hours per week and is traveling much of the time, leaving Laura very lonely.  She is also angry about the situation, since Dean is hardly available to their two children.  This lack of trust is gnawing at her. Laura's father, Felix (Bill Murray), unexpectedly pays her a visit.  Laura loves her father, but her relationship with him is highly conflictual since his philandering broke up the family.  Felix is rich, very successful, and most people treat him like a king.  Laura gets lost in his shadow.  (Perhaps his character is based on her father, Francis Ford Coppola, who directed huge, iconic films such as "The Godfather" and has a net worth of  $400 million!)  After Laura confides in him about her marriage, Felix takes over to "help" her finding out the truth about Dean, which leads to many very funny scenes.  Despite the humor, the film has depth related to their relationship.  Murray is terrific as the father, and he could conceivably be nominated for an AA, although I doubt it. Bottom Line: "On the Rocks" deserves a "toast!"