Somewhere

With Lost in Translation easily taking the spot for favorite movie of the year (about twenty years too late, but still) for me, I decided to give Sofia Coppola's other movies a go, in the hope of rekindling some of that love-lost magic that's so present in the Bill Murray classic. While The Virgin Suicides was a sad disappointment, I found myself more and more entranced by 2010's Somewhere.

Coppola's Somewhere is the story of a 40-something actor who, despite tremendous levels of fame, has grown out of touch with life and what it truly means to enjoy it. Until, that is, his 11-year-old daughter is unceremoniously dropped on his doorstep, reminding him what he's doing it all for.

Photo:Universal Studios

While the film does play on something of a cliche -- in real life, we seldom, if ever, remember what it's all for in the nick of time -- Somewhere does manage to capture some of the magic that makes Lost in Translation unforgettable.

Some things you can't say

spoiler alert

But then again, the movie is 13 years old at this point, so chances are you've seen it or have no intention to. Anyway, there's this gorgeous scene towards the end of the movie where, dropping off his daughter for camp, the actor chats with her for a bit (she's in a taxi, him heading back to his helicopter), then leaves. It's only when he's by the helicopter that the actor turns back and shouts at his daughter, apologizing for never being there for her. It's a heartbreaking scene, less so in what is said, and more for the way he chooses to say it. It's only next to the helicopter, where the whirr of the engines swallows and drowns out his words, that the actor is brave enough to speak his truth to his disappointed daughter.

The little girl, Cleo (excellent portrayal by Elle Fanning), smiles delighted -- clearly without hearing him -- then waves goodbye. And it's that one scene, I think, which really saves the movie. Because we've all seen enough movies playing on this self-same cliche -- the distant father who realizes just in time that what's truly important is his family and comes back to them -- to be a little apprehensive, haven't we? After all, how many stories do you know in real life that go like that? So the theme is worn out enough to bring down the movie in and of itself. Yet that one scene at the end, where Johnny realizes he is, in his own words, nothing (and doesn't even have the courage to acknowledge it before his own daughter, manages to save the movie.

Because it doesn't leave you hoping for a happy-ever-after. There is, certainly, the promise of change. After all, the ending is marked by the actor leaving his celeb hotel, and his fancy car, and going off on his own two feet. A hopeful rebirth, of sorts.

But he's alone. Because while his young daughter does remind him what the larger purpose of his life is, he's still a long way from being a good father, or from fulfilling that purpose. Simply realizing what you're missing is not enough.

Hollywood movies have a way of forgetting that, and for many a protagonist, it's enough to say "oh, that was the true meaning" and everything falls into place. But not in Coppola movies. Here, the somewhere you're at in life is just that, a lay-over along the way. You may realize it or no, but you've still got a long way to go before the journey is completed. And I love that message. It beats telling people all they've gotta do is smile and adopt a can-do attitude about the things that are truly important.

Some messages find you when you need them.

I was reading reviews online for the movie, and I couldn't really fault any of the poor ones. Many bad reviews touching on valid issues - pointing out that while the same vibe as in Lost in Translation is present, the movie fails to take off. And that's true. After all, maybe Coppola's own take had lost some of its poignancy. Lost in Translation is, after all, a highly personal movie. It would be unfair to expect the same rawness ten years later in an artist's life.

For me, though, it came at just the right time, for I am at a place of reassessing my relationships. And so I couldn't help but fall in love with Johnny's journey. So what's fair? A bad review by someone who wasn't at a place to appreciate the movie, or a positive one by someone who, like me, found a great deal of themselves in Somewhere?

Ah, the difficulty of putting your art out there, and hoping it has a positive impact. Personally, I really enjoyed it. The lack of dialogue. The long, embarrassing shots. Stephen Dorff's wonderful acting. But hey, I don't know where you are at, in your journey :)

Sofia Coppola movies aren't for everyone. She seems to enjoy long silent shots to establish the mood in her movies. While this cerebral dialogue-less approach can be effective, it seems that she gets carried away with it. Or, more likely, there are people out there that actually enjoy this approach. I am not one of them. I like a film that has a point. A story should have a beginning, a middle and an end. A film should leave the viewer with a sense of satisfaction. Somewhere does neither.

Johnny Marco (Stephen Dorff) is a successful actor. His approach to life seems simpler than those around him. He dresses down whenever he can and almost seems out of place at black-tie events. But his life has become complicated. His female relationships are casual, at best. It feels like Marco, for all his success, is missing something. When his daughter Cleo (Elle Fanning) spends a few days with him, it seems that Johnny might have latched on to the thing that he is missing.

Cleo is a bright eleven-year-old. She is energetic and down-to-Earth. She also seems to have a passion for real food. Johnnny lives in a hotel suite, where room service is just a phone call away. Yet Cleo would rather call for cheese, milk and butter so she can make her own macaroni and cheese. It is this simplicity that seems to connect with Johnny. In the midst of his jet-setting, Johnny manages to spend a bit of time with Cleo before sending her off to a camp where her mother may (or may not) eventually pick her up. Where Johnny goes from there is anyone's guess. This film does not have an ending, but seems to suggest that Johnny has decided to simplify his life.

Sofia Coppola wrote and directed this cerebral mess. I don't really want to dignify it by calling it a "story" but I will. Her story makes little sense. It is more an introduction of characters and their interactions with no clear intent on where they are headed or where they have come from. It is a snapshot of a week or two in their lives. There are mysterious text messages that are never explained, there are characters that drift in and out that we never really meet, and there is a sleep disorder that is never explained or explored. In short, Coppola throws a lot at us in an hour and forty minutes without really ever giving us anything. The dialogue was fresh (what dialogue she included) but the pacing was enough to give the audience a sleep disorder.

The acting was flawless. Because of the lack of dialogue, a great deal of meaning rested on the shoulders of the actors. While we never really get anything tangible, I think I did pick up on the basic premise of the film (but am not sure that I hit it dead on). What I did take away from the film was a tribute to the performances of Dorff and Fanning. They were both very solid and did a good job with facial expressions and there on-screen interactions. They both felt very genuine. It made me enjoy their characters who had no past, present or future. The acting was a bright spot in this otherwise drab, boring film.

Somewhere received an R rating from the MPAA. The film had a few sex scenes and gratuitous nudity. I think the nudity was a distraction to try and keep things interesting. I never thought I would say that even the nudity was kind of boring. It just did not come together for me. Aside from the sexual content, the film also had smoking, drinking and strong language. The rating seemed more likely to be tied to the nudity and sexual situations as the other content was contextual and moderate. I would suggest a mid-teen audience can handle anything in this movie except the utter boredom.

I felt dumber when I walked out of Somewhere. I felt like I wasted two hours of my life. There was no point to the film. Or, if there was a point, it was wasted. The sluggish pacing and lengthy scenes felt more like filler than story line. There was not plot, only characters. While I liked the characters and could identify with them, I just wasn't connected to any meaning. It felt like Coppola was trying to say something without actually saying it. I don't want to guess, I want to be rewarded for my time. I want something that can make me say "wow, that was intriguing." Instead, the film felt boring with gratuitous nudity thrown in to try and keep things interesting. When the nudity gets boring, you know you have a snoozer on your hands. Skip this one. 4.5/10 (for the acting).

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