Review of Somewhere (2010) by Leslie L — 08 Apr 2011

Somewhere is a nowhere-leading story which partly resembles a drama and partly evokes feelings of watching a sad, ironic comedy about life, loneliness, isolation and late coming of age.

Without much of a developing story, Somewhere explores the life of a young Hollywood star, his parties, alternative lifestyle, but also his loneliness, disconnection with the world and depressive incapability to enjoy life and to have true friends. The first part of the movie deals mainly with this, as director Sofia Coppola succeeds to depict a troubled Hollywood star, who is a simple man, just as every ordinary decent person. The bringing in of his daughter enriches Stephen Dorff's character as he slowly starts his late coming of age - realizing what he has been missing, how lonely he was, how he has wasted his life in parties, women and nothing meaningful.

The story does not go anywhere else and does not provide anything which could be called a final. It is a personal story, without a big idea, but depicting a period of one's lifetime. It is intimate, slow, with Sofia Coppola choosing to stare at the loneliness for moments with the camera standing still at one point.

Although it won the Best Picture Award at the Venice Film Festival, Somewhere suffers from one big issue. Similarities with Lost in Translation are striking, but in the negative aspect. Despite Dorff and Fanning's excellent performances, they are drifting away from the captivating performances shown by Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson. It fails to bring the same substance or the sweet melancholy of Coppola's breakthrough movie and ultimately it does not manage to provoke strong enough emotional connection with Dorff and Fanning.

Nevertheless, Somewhere is a worthy movie, which will please the audience with the directorial decisions chosen by Coppola, but it will not add up anything original or new, which fans of Lost of Translation have not seen.