‘Lost in Translation’ is one of my favourite films so when I heard Sofia Coppola had made another film I was very excited. However, ‘Somewhere’ left me feeling disappointed in both Coppola’s storytelling and her choice of music. Coppola is renowned for her innate taste in good music for her films, but I found the soundtrack to ‘Somewhere’ dull and predictable. The film is shot beautifully, with stunning cinematography, but the story and characters are lacking. The film follows a Hollywood actor reconnecting with his daughter and is supposedly to some extent autobiographical. Perhaps this is Coppola’s mistake. The main character is not particularly charming or likeable and I found myself not caring in the slightest what happened to him or where he was going. The daughter Cleo is not unlikeable but like the soundtrack is rather bland and you feel could have been a lot more interesting.
There are a lot of nice visual metaphors such as the opening where a fast car goes round and round a circuit and the camera remains static, representing Johnny’s static life going round in circles. It is also quite amazing how two pole dancing scenes within the film are not the least bit sexy or tantalising, showing the actor’s disinterest in his life. However, it also embodies the whole feel of the film, one of disappointment and boredom.
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