In a sweet stroke of the brush, Sofia Coppola has created another great movie in ‘Somewhere.’ The film centers on Johnny Marco, an actor whose life is at a standstill, and he doesn’t realize this until his 11-year-old daughter comes to visit for an extended stay.
What makes this film so pleasant is that it is an observation, not a driven piece of work. Of course plot structure and three-act stories are good, but here we watch Johnny Marco’s life, his daughter, and his progression as a human being, and the watching of this is what makes the film a unique experience. There are clearly remnants, or at least similar themes, to Coppola’s ‘Lost in Translation,’ but ‘Somewhere’ stands on its own strength.
As I said, what makes this film so great is that it is an observation. Other films would introduce ticking clocks, or they would have misfortune befall Johnny or his daughter, Cleo. But Coppola lets us into this world so we can make our own assumptions. Johnny isn’t an awful father: He takes interest in his kid, gives her advice, and makes sure she has everything she wants. Yet he lacks any emotional connection with her, or with anyone else, and despite all his fame and apparently good lifestyle, Johnny seems dead inside. He spends his free time with his daughter playing Guitar Hero. She is accustomed to flying to Europe and staying in suites that have their own swimming pools. Yet it is all superficial.
We have seen this before. A parent and their kid with a relationship only as deep as the dad’s wallet. ‘Somewhere’ is so refreshing because it does not judge, there are no ‘bad guys,’ and we realize (as Johnny does) that something has to change. And that is all a great story needs–for the characters to change.
