X
- 2010
- R
- 1 h 37 m
- 2010
- R
- 1 h 37 m
Summary You have probably seen him in the tabloids; Johnny is living at the legendary Chateau Marmont hotel in Hollywood. He has a Ferrari to drive around in, and a constant stream of girls and pills to stay in with. Comfortably numbed, Johnny drifts along. Then, his 11-year-old daughter Cleo from his failed marriage arrives unexpectedly at the ...
Directed By: Sofia Coppola
Written By: Sofia Coppola
- 2010
- R
- 1 h 37 m
- 2010
- R
- 1 h 37 m
Somewhere
67
6.2
Where to Watch
Summary You have probably seen him in the tabloids; Johnny is living at the legendary Chateau Marmont hotel in Hollywood. He has a Ferrari to drive around in, and a constant stream of girls and pills to stay in with. Comfortably numbed, Johnny drifts along. Then, his 11-year-old daughter Cleo from his failed marriage arrives unexpectedly at the ...
Directed By: Sofia Coppola
Written By: Sofia Coppola
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 40 Critic Reviews
67
68% Positive
27 Reviews
27 Reviews
20% Mixed
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
13% Negative
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 40 Critic Reviews
67
68% Positive
27 Reviews
27 Reviews
20% Mixed
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
13% Negative
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
A fascinating, mature, beautifully crafted work of art, from a director who continues to surprise us. Sofia Coppola has absorbed the Italian avant-garde more completely than her father ever did, and has made a film about celebrity in the vein of Antonioni and Bertolucci, a film about Hollywood in which she turns her back on it, possibly forever.
Coppola's audacity in not only portraying the unmoored nature of Marco's life but immersing the audience in it proves satisfying over time.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 114 User Ratings
6.2
53% Positive
60 Ratings
60 Ratings
29% Mixed
33 Ratings
33 Ratings
18% Negative
21 Ratings
21 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 114 User Ratings
6.2
53% Positive
60 Ratings
60 Ratings
29% Mixed
33 Ratings
33 Ratings
18% Negative
21 Ratings
21 Ratings
Somewhere is an arthouse film that reminds us of great eras in smaller films, the Italian and French films of the 60s and even quite a few early 90s indie movies. Each shot and scene is put together with exquisite details and nice touches, it makes for a movie that can be seen more than once. Stephen Dorff plays an enigmatic, working cool actor shacked up in LA's Chateau Marmont hotel on the Sunset Strip. He bangs models, wannabe actresses and is a bit of a rocking guy. Emotionally empty and isolated, he finds solace in his 11 year old daughter played by a very talented Elle Fanning. The movie produces a great father and daughter relationship, tragic by design and circumstance, a love story that has nowhere to go. I really thought Dorff was an underrated, naturally cool and talented actor before. And Sofia Coppola creates a collage of memorable imagery, unusual sensitivity and an understated depth to Dorff that really shines. I liked this film more than Lost In Translation. The music is great too.
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Ultimately, Somewhere may be too static, too minimalist a tale. But there's grace here.
A small but, in its way, daring picture.
The result imparts something of the emptiness of Johnny's existence and, if you're not partial to either the fellow or the technique, might very well drive you up a tree.
The futility of a noodling movie star is hardly a revelation of the absurdity of the human condition, or whatever this movie is supposed to be about. [20 & 27 Dec. 2010, p. 146]
The latest calcified bore by Sofia Coppola is less pretentious than "Marie Antoinette" but every bit as inertly stupefying as "Lost in Translation."
Stephen Dorff cuts a lonely and passive individual in 'Somewhere', playing an actor called Johnny Marco, a successful man in the business, but ten minutes into the film we realise the recluse and empty life that Johnny leads, pole dance after pole dance, party after party, he never seems to be mentally present in any of these situations to the point where it's noticeable that he finds nothing fulfilling or satisfying, something no amount of money, sex or drugs can fix. The only vice for his seemingly empty life is his eleven year-old daughter Cleo (Elle Fanning), who is in adversary left in the care of her father. Here we see the true talents of writer and director Sofia Coppola in full swing, she creates characters who instantly command your attention and who are full of intrigue, it's easy to get the impression that Cleo is aware of her fathers lifestyle, but loves him all the same, Johnny is a man who doesn't seem ungrateful for his life and success, but one who simply doesn't get the fulfilment that others would in the same field. He stays indefinitely at the popular Chateau Marmont, a place for the Hollywood bigwigs attempting to hideaway from the world.
The intriguing elements of the film come from the character of Johnny, his routine life of answering the phone and doing as his agent tells him, talk to the press, pick up awards and have his face moulded, a scene which truly outlines this mans feelings, he sits in silence while the mould dries and breathes heavily, we don't need to see his face to know what is going on in his head.
The film doesn't necessarily have a beginning, middle and end flow, it's told a sort of day in the life of scenario where we sit back and observe a lifestyle that is endless, but one devoid of anything meaningful, the only vice being blood.
The title pertains to everything that we witness throughout the film, a man in between lifestyles, personalities and mental stability, he isn't anywhere concrete, therefore he is somewhere in between it all.
Sofia Coppola has an intriguing and elegant style of filming, she puts on screen exactly what see wants us to see, and like her other masterful 'Lost In Translation', we have a similar character in Stephen Dorff to to Bill Murray, a man with everything but also cut away from life and letting it all pass him by.
An excellent film that studies the meaning of family, personality, depression but mainly the need of human interaction and meaningful relationships, through the simplest of actions and time spent together.
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A meditation on **** and parenthood, Sofia Coppola's Somewhere is not nearly engaging enough to truly become a phenomenal work. Yet, its thematic indulgences make the film a worthwhile piece to further examine. Telling the story of a famed Hollywood actor, Somewhere explores the distance he feels with the rest of the world, the claustrophobia induced by his ****, and the unexpected bond he forms with his daughter. With top-notch acting, good direction, and solid writing, Somewhere is a film that may not be the most entertaining work ever released, but is still a smart assessment on the topics it addresses.
In terms of ****, the film largely explores how trapped our protagonist, Johnny Marco (Stephen Dorff), is by his fame. Stuck in a life of casual sex that he appears to be disenchanted with and has proven unfruitful, Johnny is wisked from location-to-location in order to promote his latest work. One such occasion finds him sent to make a mold of his face for the special effects department. Trapped in a seat for 40 minutes as the mold sets, the film's greatest exploration of its thematic dealings comes in this sequence. Physically showing how trapped he is by his now unwanted life, Johnny is then confronted by an older version of himself, courtesy of the terrific special effects team. Seeing himself as an old man in the mirror, Johnny is confronted by the path he is headed towards, should he not make an adjustment in his present course. Dorff really brings this element to life by being largely unconnected. Emotionless and distant when being whisked from Los Angeles to Milan for a television show and some interviews, Johnny Marco is certainly a man who is feeling deeply unfulfilled, in spite of his seemingly perfect life.
What really drives home his dissatisfaction is his relationship with his daughter Cleo (Elle Fanning). Left with him by his ex-wife who runs off to have some alone time, Johnny truly begins to bond with his daughter. With her at his side, he finally begins to feel happy and satisfied. While this drives him closer to the edge - especially after she leaves for summer camp - it also allows him to confront his demons. By the end of the film, we see him up and leave his past life and embark on a new journey. Even more, we see him cope with the loneliness forced upon him with Cleo's departure. We see how unhappy he is without her and this awakens an element of being a parent with him, which was previously non-existent. These thematic explorations are terrifically handled in the film by director Sofia Coppola who gives her characters room to breathe and emote in their own unique way.
Of course, credit must be given to both Dorff and Fanning. Together, the duo has great chemistry and truly makes you believe they are father and daughter. Their relationship has an authenticity and overt bonding element that really makes you feel the impact their new found friendship has had on the two of them. Also a credit to the writing, as these two are very developed, even if there is a limit to the depth and amount of "fleshing out" given to any character in the film. As, essentially, a slice of life film, Somewhere rarely delves into what got these characters here and only shows us their present. This really does give a limited scope in our understanding of these people, though the film endeavors to try and fill us in as much as possible.
That said, this lack of depth really does hurt when it comes to how engaging the film truly is and its impact upon the viewer. With the lack of a past for anybody, the film truly lacks the feel of culmination. As we did not get to see their entire journey, the ending feels flat almost and not a hard fought victory after years of turmoil and toiling in self-loathing. The film itself is also poorly paced for much of it, with the impact of leaving the viewer desperately clawing at something to hang onto. For many, this manifested itself in a disdain for the protagonist, due to his distant and privileged lifestyle. Myself, I never felt any disdain. However, it did lack an element that could have made the film more relatable and, therefore, impactful.
As a whole, Somewhere is a good look at parenthood and troubles with ****. However, a lack of relatability and the remarkable distance between the characters and the audience leaves the film feeling entirely hollow and unfulfilling. That said, its thematic elements are terrific and Coppola does a great job exploring and managing these elements.
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Somewhere is an entertaining movie that features a lot of static camera work. It's beautiful to look at and survives with minimal plot or dialogue. It's wispy nature makes for a slight experience but that actually adds to the film's charm. One negative note to mention is that the whole movie is a retread of Lost In Translation. Stephen Dorff is Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansen is the daughter. It's a different kind of love but still the same premise. Somewhere is a good movie but not a great one.
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The only good thing about Somewhere was the irony of the title: This film was nowhere.
We are invited into a star's empty existence. I get it. This particular look at such a life was drawn, prolonged agony. The main character may have been suffering emptiness, even depression, but in no way was the pain and suffering of that particular affliction even explored, let alone the character's inner experience. We are not invited to like him or dislike him, we remain ambiguous, which is story suicide. Character and story are one and the same. Watching this film I was frustrated, as I felt I was offered neither. Yes there were subtleties. Indeed there were beautiful shots. The settings were sound, the support cast middling to good, Dorf himself wasn't so bad considering he had so much silence to undertake. There was even artistic merit to the whole thing - I liked the idea! And that's what disappointed me the most - seeing that great idea, those characters, those settings and watching it go nowhere. There was no story. A European look at an American life, sure. However, did Johnny Marco change? We don't know. A classic American film might see him change somehow. A European tale might see him be invited to but not. Thus each side of the pond look at the human condition slightly differently, if you can excuse the generalisation. At no point is Johnny under any real pressure, though. And that is the problem and the reason why Johnny cannot change. Why should he? He's not being challenged. Neither, unfortunately, is the viewer.
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Long, long shots do not a masterpiece make. The movie is short on character, plot and dialogue, but long on pretension. It's very hard to care about the lead, although Elle Fanning was very good.
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Production Company
Focus Features,
Pathé Distribution,
Medusa Film,
Tohokushinsha Film Corporation (TFC),
American Zoetrope
Release Date Dec 22, 2010
Duration 1 h 37 m
Rating R
Website
http://www.somewhere-lefilm.com/
Awards
National Board of Review, USA
• 2 Wins & 2 Nominations
Alliance of Women Film Journalists
• 2 Nominations
Venice Film Festival
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
