Movie Review: Sofia Coppola’s ‘On the Rocks’
The film does not add anything to its own conversation or genre, and falls flat once it’s about to end and must declare some sort of conclusion.

Reportage writer Ayano Asama (26) covers gangs, delinquents, drugs, adult entertainment, the poverty business, the occult, and urban legends. She is constantly in trouble, being threatened by the people she interviews and being involved in illegal activities. Her parents, siblings, and acquaintances are worried about her, but Ayano continues to go her own way.
The film does not add anything to its own conversation or genre, and falls flat once it’s about to end and must declare some sort of conclusion.
An unlikely friendship changes the hearts of men, and helps a young boy come into his own.
“And I think to myself….what a wonderful world”. Louis Armstrong sang about this notion via his classic 1967 song, an ode to witnessing elements of our life that should be but some reminders of exactly what that concluding line of each verse indicates. Now we see our contemporary realities and, just being honest, it makes a sentiment like this seem SO overtly far away….perhaps even impossible….to accept or believe could be. It sounds harsh, but again, so much of what is occurring speaks not to beauty, but bedlam.
Disney’s first Christmas advert, ‘From Our Family to Yours’ teaches us the magic of the holidays.
Strangers in a crowd, exchanging glances, looking away, continually managing to run into each other then part ways, end up at the same diner, find they've rented the exact same vehicles, and are then made to travel together to learn once more whether they can both find genuine adoration and companionship again. This really does, in so many words, sum up the foundational gist of of this new feature film from writer Seth Reiss ("The Menu") and director Kogonada ("The Acolyte", "After Yang"). Yet, it's all only the set-up for the REAL wonder of everything that happens before, during, and in the aftermath of a magical, meaningful journey.
The human experience is described through the eyes of a marginalized outsider, neither judgmental nor invested, just an observant donkey.