The Starling (2021)

WHenever I see Melissa McCarthy in another non-comedic role, I get more and more impressed. She is still great at physical humor and delivering funny or ironic lines, but there are layers to her performances now. Her anger, frustration, sadness, all feel real to me. This movie could easily have been rated 6 stars by me with the wrong actress playing the role. Chris O’Dowd’s role is thankless at first; he gives a one-note performance because that is what the plot calls for. The man is entrenched in guilt and depression, so there he is. But later in the movie he is called upon to develop gradually as a character, and he quickly matches Ms. McCarthy’s textured performance. The supporting cast mostly are right on the mark as well. I don’t want to overstate it; this is not destined to be in my top ten movies ever, but it is pretty darn good and I would not change the TV if this comes on while I am cruising channels.