Somewhere Directed by: Sofia Coppola Starring: Stephen Dorff, Elle Fanning, Michelle Monaghan Rating: R Release Date: December 22, 2010
TRAILER SCORE: 8/10
MY THOUGHTS: Sofia Coppola and I have a love/hate kind of relationship. After suffering through Marie Antoinette it's mostly been hate, but hell, I'm not one to hold a grudge. Don't get me wrong, when I first started watching this trailer, I was a little nervous for what was in store for me, but by the end, I found myself pleasantly surprised. The story itself isn't terribly new (father reunites with daughter and learns the errors of his selfish ways) but this movie isn't so much about plot as it is about character. Sofia Coppola's always had a talent for characters, even if most of her plots crawl along at a glacial pace or stem from her own self-obsession. It's been said that even Somewhere comes from her personal life experiences, but some of the best stuff committed to film comes from an intimate place. While some may worry that this film looks like it covers the same ground as Lost in Translation, well, I can't do anything to quell those fears. It looks like it deals with very similar material so I'm sure some people will draw that connection, but if my instincts about the trailer are right, Sofia Coppola isn't trying much of anything new. Once again, it's a character study, which is what she does best, and I'm interested to see what kind of performances Stephen Dorff and Elle Fanning turn in. That intrigue alone is worth the price of admission for for me at least, but see for yourself.