Somewhere

‘Somewhere’, the fourth film by Sofia Coppola begins with a car racing in and out of frame on a small, circular racetrack. The camera lingers on this scene for a good time, allowing the audience time to reflect on what the next couple of hours will bring. Will it be a miraculous change of direction for Coppola, a gritty, abrasive about two resentful family members? Or maybe, just maybe, Francis’ daughter will stick to her tried and tested cocktail of disaffected privileged people and studied ambience…

Yes, this is ANOTHER one of those films. But, as always, you can’t help but be compelled by the hypnotic mini-tragedies that Coppola presents us with. Here, the comfortably numb protagonist is played by Stephen Dorff, playing not-so-out-of-type as a bored film star in LA. When his casting was first announced I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who puzzled over his choice. Stephen Dorff isn’t a prestige actor, a name actor or someone with indie credibility. He’s just a minor movie star; which is absolutely perfect for the role. He has the movie star looks and presence, but offset with a rough and tired demeanour. One of the interesting things about his performance is the lack of emotion eminating from him-he feels like he’s coasting on neutral. Yes, this is a large aspect of many of Coppola’s central characters, but here it feels even more neutered, and for the audience, more of a challenge.
The film, like her previous works, plays in cycles and repetition, illuminating the mundanity and narrowness of Marco’s life. We see him smoking in his bedroom, in a restaurant, on his balcony, fooling around with girls, driving his shiny black sports car. Harry Savides, the legendary cinematographer (he worked with Francis among others), brings a casual, observational style to these ‘nothing’ scenes, letting Marco’s complacency ring out across the cinema. In particular, the awkward framing of a couple of showgirls performing privately for Marco leaves the viewer anything but tillitated. This particular scene is evidence of Coppola’s distinctive ability to find the wry humour and sadness in a situation.
Marco is mildly awakened from his slumber by the arrival back into his life of his daughter Cleo, plaed by Elle Fanning. Cleo, a bright, good natured girl is the juxtaposing purity to the seediness of Marco’s life. Is this perhaps a little contrived on Coppola’s part? Perhaps, but it works; without Elle, Marco, and the audience, would have nothing to live on. As some critics have noted, Elle, like the rest of the characters in the film, rarely ever challenges Marco’s lifestyle. One might say this is one of the most bittersweet and truthful aspects of the film; people are too wary to criticise and hurt people around them for fear of irreparably damaging them. It doesn’t hinder Marco that he is a famous film star, of course.
It’s hard to say what ‘Somewhere’ is really trying to tell us. Is it simply another film of alienated souls, or is there something more going on? One strong notable theme seems to be the representaion and sexualisation of women. Coming from a female director in particular, the scenes of Marco seducing numerous faceless women appear to be a strong indictment of the way women have been overly sexualised and demeaned in media and society. Coppola also points to the realtionship he has with women being an integral part to his own unhappiness. There is one small hint at unrest with his mother; we hear him on the phone onto his agent about a book that she has written about him.
Other than that, though, this is standard Coppola. Lost in Translation may have explored all these themes and ideas in a more potent and concise way, but Somewhere is still a compelling and enjoyable expansion on these points. It brings to mind Wim Wender’s excellent ‘Alice in the cities’ in both situation and style, but doesn’t quite live up to the standard of that particular film or her own previous work. It is, though, another welcome addition to her canon.