Somewhere (2010)

I gave it a 7.5 out of 10

Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

One of those movie experiences that is so good it makes you realize you've been grading everything else on a curve.

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

After yawning through the appalling tedium and casual racism of 'Lost in Translation', I'm kicking myself for falling for the same thing again.Nothing happens in this film. NOTHING! Stare at the wall instead, and avoid wasting money and being horribly disappointed.

Sofia Coppola is basically Hollywood royalty. The daughter of directing legend Francis Ford Coppola, has proved to be an excellent filmmaker in her own right. Lost in Translation is a rather phenomenal film about two lonely people bonding in a hotel in Tokyo. There is also a theme of loneliness in this film and the exploration of the character who experiences it. I'll get to that in a bit. Sofia's films are definitely not for everybody but I think if you love film you can really appreciate what she sets to accomplish with her pictures. Her films are not always plot heavy but we are usually guaranteed a riveting look into the life of a pained character.To put it simply, the film is about an actor named Johnny Marco and how lonely he is in a world where he seems to have it all. He seems to be a newly famed Hollywood actor who feels a deprived sense of emotion and pleasure even though he has money, cars, a nice house, attractive women etc. He has a bond with his 10 year old daughter (played by Elle Fanning) which grows as he spends more and more time with her. First off, Dorff and Elle are great. I'm a big fan of Elle Fanning and know that she is in the now and will become huge. Even 6 years ago you can see how she has a natural knack for the screen. The film is shown in a way where the viewer just kind of sits back and experiences whats going on, almost as if you are taking a cut and seeing a real life as it unfolds (see seen with Johnny and the mask makeup).Coppola's film has a story to tell, however its unconventional. The film isn't always dialogue heavy and you will experience a repetitive nature to some of the activities the protagonist grows through. Themes of a well off person experiencing loneliness are present once again in her film. Johnny seems to experience real happiness the more he sees his daughter. He finally seems to have a real emotional breakdown when she goes off to camp and he makes a call to his ex wife. I think that even though many of us are not in the wealthy situation of the protagonist, we can identify with how isolated he feels with everything going on around him.The magic of Coppola's films is their ability to just speak to you on an existential level.The film is littered with gorgeous shots of hotels, people, location and such to mimic the glamorous life of Hollywood royalty. The soundtrack is chill and in the moment with what you see on screen. Seeing the pole dancers synchronizing to "My Hero" and Elle Fanning ice skate to Gwen Stefani's "Cool" help put you in the atmosphere of the world of the film. You are Johnny as he watches things happen on a day to day basis. Long story short, Coppola brings forth yet another enjoyable effort. I'm very excited about her pairing with Elle Fanning again in 2017.7.5/10 .

"Somewhere" is, like any other Sofia Coppola's movie, a very delicate exhibition. The plot is not extraordinary, given what matters, what the director really wants to appraise is the atmosphere. An atmosphere full of little details that contribute to create an halo of dream, perhaps even of magic. Which is what most people think to be the life of an actor: magical. On the contrary, Johnny's life is gray, monotonous, full of problems: in a word, ordinary. So the contrast between the dreamlike and the gray atmosphere mirrors the crack between what Johnny's life should be and what it actually is. This never-ending loop is then broken by Cleo, Johnny's daughter, who initially seems to brighten her daddy's life. They talk, they play, they listen to good music. But then life knocks on the door and sadness kicks back in. So what to do at this point? With an extremely magnificent ending, Johnny suggests just to go S O M E W H E R E.

Well, the title isn't exactly true. You see, I did try. I got around halfway through before "giving up", but I still left the film running on the background while I went surfing the net, and glanced it every so often till the end.It's not like I have the shortest attention span, and couldn't stand watching a slow movie. Not at all, but the slowness still has to have a purpose, and the film must lead to somewhere - Somewhere didn't.I also couldn't find any underlying message or meaning to the film whatsoever. It's shot OK, and has some nice scenery, but nothing of particular interest, and nothing that would set it apart from other modern films (except perhaps no CGI, if that should be a merit).In essence, Somewhere is an exercise in boredom. Just because the main character is bored and without purpose, doesn't mean the audience should feel that way too. For someone with a wildly hectic lifestyle, something like this might be a welcome break, but my life is boring enough as it is.Somewhere did not entertain. 2.5/10