Somewhere (2010)

Somewhere is a poetic meditation in the form of film. It is well made mood piece and insight into the life of actor Johnny Marco whose life seems to be going nowhere.
It captures perfectly the small nuances of life itself and with all it's little gestures it tell us much more than many doezen of films can ever dream of. While from the outside Somewhere might seem a film about people wandering in the hallways of Hotel Chateau Marmont and fragments from a life of well known actor, there is actually lot more going beneath the surface.
Director/writer Sofia Coppola knows that we don't need huge melodrama or even that much action to show us what is going on inside the characters head or in their lives. Coppola does not take the easy way out as storyteller and does everything by her own uncompromising terms.
This is a film that begins as a portrait of man whose life has become all about parties, women and drugs. His life has slipped into the apahty where nothing actually happens and he does not even seem to care. Everyday seem to be same.
He fortunately happen to have daughter named Cleo who he seem to love very much, but who he quite cannot connect or express his emotions that well. After Cleo shows up for a longer visit things finally seem to be turning into something better in the life of Johnny too.
Johnny's and Cleo's realtionship as a father and daughter becomes the driving motor of the film and little by little Johnny seems to be getting out of his apathy and booze filled life.
Still what lies in the end is not the main thing here. Somewhere is a film about those little beautiful moments between father and his daughter. Their moments when they play guitar hero in a hotel room, visit to Italy or spend a sunny day at the pool are fantastic examples of Coppola's ability to capture something true and profound about life itself.
Stephen Dorff as Johnny Marco and Elle Fanning as her daughter Cleo are brilliant choices for their roles. Dorff's muted portrait is wonderful with all the brilliant little gestures while Fanning's Cleo is a bright and observant girl who more than anything is in need of love from her often absent parents. Best of all they feel true and not some actors doing self important method excercise.
Sofia Coppola is gifted and interesting director. Coppola seem to have very authentic voice as a filmmaker and even if her Virgin Suicides and Lost in Translation were not that good as a films they still had the same language of hers.
Coppola made her first good film with Marie Antoinette and Somewhere is small leap forward for Sofia Coppola once again. It has also since it's release become one of my own personal favourite films.
Somewhere is beautiful story about one man's awekening into life and how letting go can actually be road to redemption and path for a second chance in life.