Parents' Guide to On the Rocks

Jones and the always entertaining Murray have a charming rapport, and the supporting characters all stand out, but Coppola's marriage-in-the-city dramedy is thinner than expected. Part caper, part relationship drama, part slice-of-life look at how privileged, 30-something New Yorkers deal with their marriages and children, the movie can be fun, particularly once Murray appears on-screen to chew up the scenery with his charm. But audiences expecting Marriage Story-level revelations should be warned: On the Rocks isn't nearly as substantive -- or heartbreaking. That's not necessarily a bad thing, of course, because that can be exhausting for a viewer, but Coppola is capable of extraordinary films, and this one falls short in comparison with others in her filmography.

On its own merits, the movie shines brightest when it's focused solely on Laura and Felix -- since Dean is too busy working and possibly having an affair to be a fully fleshed-out character. Another one of the best parts of the movie is the hilarious daily interaction between Laura and an oversharing, socially clueless mother (played by Jenny Slate) at her child's preschool. Slate's character, who's single, is all too eager to regale a put-upon Laura with every thought in her head about her love life. Laura, meanwhile, doesn't seem to have actual friends. Instead, she tells her father intimate details about her marriage. While that doesn't feel quite believable, Murray is a delight, as always, even as he tries to give anthropological and biological rationale for infidelity (including his own). For a well-acted and frothy dramedy, On the Rocks is just right, but it's not the sort of Coppola film that stays with you after the credits roll.