DVD - Somewhere

or: Living the Hollywood life

One word to sum it up: Lingering

Somewhere opens with a flash car going round and round a track. It probably does around six or seven laps, leading the audience to wonder what they're in for. Could the movie just be a series of pointless long shots of stuff that really doesn't lend much to the story? Or could we be witnessing the life of an actor going around in a circle? That opening scene, though seeming as pointless as anything at first, is actually a symbol for so much more to come. It shows that our protagonist, Johnny Marco (Stephen Dorff), is all dressed up with nowhere to go. He can't go backwards, because he has his reputation as an actor to uphold. He can't go forwards, because he doesn't have the willpower to. So he just goes around in circles, something which he is quite comfortable in doing.

We don't ever find out much about Marco. We know that he spends his time in the Chateau Marmont either drinking, sleeping, or hiring twin pole-dancers to entertain him. We know that he broke his arm. We eventually find out that he's an actor, and his co-star Rebecca (Michelle Monaghan) thinks he's a bit of a dick. And then we find out that even after we learn of his unlikeable traits, Marco is a father to an eleven year old daughter, Cleo (Elle Fanning). He has partial custody over her, and enjoys some visits from her, until she turns up outside his door looking for a place to stay while her mother goes away for an extended period of time. So Marco and Cleo share a time together that they probably haven't had the chance to share together before, which, in turn, causes our Marco to re-evaluate his life.

The phrase "Somewhere goes nowhere" is one which is often used to describe this movie. To a point, that is true. The film isn't anything new, the ending is a bit confusing and there isn't a lot going on in the movie. Not to mention the fact that Sofia Coppola isn't one to use quick editing, opting instead for long shots that linger...and linger...and linger. However, despite the fact that most people have been quick to shoot down this movie since it is slightly long, empty and well, boring, I absolutely loved Somewhere. I don't know what it was about this film. I could see the flaws in this film happening right before my eyes, I could understand why people hated it so much, I had a little ticker tape running through my brain of all the bad things I'd heard about this movie. But yet, this movie completely took me. I felt like a backseat passenger in an actors life. Sofia Coppola, certainly no stranger to the world of Hollywood herself, managed to involve me in a world which seemed entirely realistic as opposed to the 'star life' that I read about in the tabloid magazines. She's someone who really knows what she's talking about. You'd think that this film would be really dramatic, but Coppola blends a mix of drama, pure heartbreak and a great deal of humour, making it even easier to watch.

Coppola has made a very observational film, as if you were a spectator to this chain of events. She not only observes the life of a movie star, but she observes the effect that it has on Cleo, who isn't alienated by it at all. She seems to resent it, in a way, but she doesn't treat her father any differently. Cleo is essentially taking care of Marco, and in the end, becomes the one to change Marco so he can take care for himself. It's a beautiful relationship they have set up, which no doubt has a lot to do with the chemistry between Stephen Dorff and Elle Fanning. I am not familiar with Dorff at all, and aside from the fact that I swear he could have been Guy Pearce at some points, I really liked his performance. He just knew how to be a movie star, and he knew how to 'be nothing'. The scene towards the end when he admits to himself that he is 'nothing' was a beautiful moment, because he was actually right, even though he was a film star. Elle Fanning, the younger sister of Dakota, was the star of the show here. She just lit up the room, even if you couldn't tell whether she was really yearning for a good relationship with her father or not. It just shows how many young people stole the show this year: Fanning, Hailee Steinfeld, Chloe Moretz...while Fanning may have been the least recognized of the lot, she sure did a fantastic job.

THE VERDICT: Somewhere is slow, but it is hypnotic and engaging. The way Sofia Coppola draws you in to observing the life of Johnny Marco is brilliant.

What I hoped for:

What I got: