Review of Somewhere (2010) by Jeffrey M — 11 Jun 2012

It's easy for those unfamiliar with minimalism to scoff at the film as "pretentious" but it's actually a treat for those who can appreciate it. Although there's nothing particularly outstanding about the film, Somewhere reminds us of the endearing qualities of minimalism: unnerving tension, subtle poetry, adorable humor, and simple beauty.

There's no doubt in Sofia Coppola's near-mastery of the subtle art of minimalism, even though it doesn't quire reach the level of,say, Michael Haneke or Gus Van Sant. It's easy to love the film, but it's also easy to notice some missteps with the overall film. Casting seems like the largest misfire. Although spectacular in his performance, Stephen Dorff (the person) does not seem to be able to personify any meta-parallelism within the film, something (if achieved perfectly) would have been magnificent. For example, if he were replaced by the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio then the film would have been much more amusing. Johnny Marco does not seem to be a superstar however, so supposedly someone of similar stature such as Jamie Kennedy would have sufficed.

The incessant loneliness that encompasses the overall theme of the film is apparent and poignant, but it's this theme combined with the celebrity ennui that detracts from the film's freshness and originality. The same can be said about the rest of the film: it's well-made and beautifully rendered, but there's nothing that really separates it from similar films or Coppola's other films for that matter.