I'll be honest. I wasn't so sure I would like “St. Vincent,” the new Bill Murray film playing at The Harbor Theatre this week. But I did. You will too.

When you first meet Vincent MacKenna (Murray), he is a down and out retiree. He’s sour, unkempt, whiskey swilling, smoker, gambler with a fondness for a pregnant Russian prostitute, Daka (Naomi Watts).

OK, so he's a little on the hedonistic side.

His only soft spot appears to be for his white Persian cat, Felix, who eats gourmet food. Vincent eats sardines – when he eats.

When Vincent's new neighbors, a soon-to-be divorced mom, Maggie Bronstein (Melissa McCarthy) and her 12-year-old son, Oliver, (Jaeden Lieberher) move in next door, Vincent's reception is far from neighborly.

Sure, it might have to do with the fact that the men from the moving company, hired by Maggie, have taken down a large branch from a tree in his yard that just happened to crash on top of his vintage vehicle. Really, he just likes to be left alone.

On Oliver's first day at his new school, a Catholic school, classmates tease him – and steal his uniform, keys and phone out of his gym locker. Oliver turns to Vincent for help and asks to use his phone. Vincent's response, “in my house?!”

That one phone call leads to a babysitting gig for Vincent – purely for the money. There are some great moments in this movie between this unlikely sitter and sensitive, intelligent boy.

Vincent teaches him how to fight after Oliver is beat up outside a store – and after Vincent scares the trio of boys off holding a crowbar and breaking one of the kids' skateboard.

Unbeknownst to Maggie, Oliver is learning about horse racing and ladies of the night under Vincent's tutelage. He also learns about kindness and devotion; Vincent visits his wife, an Alzheimer's patient in a nursing facility where he poses as a doctor during their visits.

As the story unfolds you learn many other things about Vincent. Not all good, not all bad. Oliver even nominates him for sainthood, part of a school project.

This is Lieberher's first film role, but you'd never know it; the kid's a natural.

And Murray, I think, has made his best film – ever. He embraces this role. He gives the character humanity.

McCarthy is wonderful in this fairly non-comedic role adding depth and warmth to her portrayal of a soon-to-be single mom. Her portrayal of Maggie, who is struggling to juggle raising her son and working full time, often later than she wants to.

Watts turns in an amazing performance as Daka, the exotic dancer-prostitute. She is tough and charming as struggles to make enough money to feed herself and her child, as her client list begins to dwindle. Not everyone “likes the belly.”

Does “St. Vincent” have sentimental moments? Sure. But so does real life. And that's what this film is – a story about real life and the unexpected roles we find ourselves playing in each other’s lives.

“St. Vincent” plays at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, Wednesday, Nov. 4 and Thursday, Nov. 5 and Sunday, Nov. 2 at 3 and 7 p.m.