jan05: sofia coppola
I had to write this down as soon as the credits rolled for Sofia Coppola's Somewhere:
Sofia Coppola is someone who isn't afraid to hold a shot for a long period of time with hardly any action, music, or dialogue. Her sense of humor is very dry, but her words are poetic, and her moments tender, sharp and heartbreaking. She treats her work like a photograph -- not quick and flashy, but with methodical and quiet. She captured an LA I could recognize and people who are human.
This feels more like a documentary and a study on an actor trying to get back to 'okay' than a traditional narrative film. There's a scene where Stephen Dorff gets plaster put on his face so that they can do a mold of him for old-age makeup. Coppola purposely lingers on Dorff after all the plaster is put on, and it is excruciating watching this person who can't open his eyes or mouth: he can't yell or move, basic ability to communicate and travel stunted. Somewhere is full of such moments. You don't know whether to laugh or squirm or cry. It hits you all at once in a gradual slow burn.
Dorff and Elle Fanning are also perfect in their roles as father and daughter. They don't oversell it.
Of all of Coppola's films to date, this one is my favorite. Grade: A
...
and in honor... a la Lost In Translation:
Sofia Coppola is someone who isn't afraid to hold a shot for a long period of time with hardly any action, music, or dialogue. Her sense of humor is very dry, but her words are poetic, and her moments tender, sharp and heartbreaking. She treats her work like a photograph -- not quick and flashy, but with methodical and quiet. She captured an LA I could recognize and people who are human.
This feels more like a documentary and a study on an actor trying to get back to 'okay' than a traditional narrative film. There's a scene where Stephen Dorff gets plaster put on his face so that they can do a mold of him for old-age makeup. Coppola purposely lingers on Dorff after all the plaster is put on, and it is excruciating watching this person who can't open his eyes or mouth: he can't yell or move, basic ability to communicate and travel stunted. Somewhere is full of such moments. You don't know whether to laugh or squirm or cry. It hits you all at once in a gradual slow burn.
Dorff and Elle Fanning are also perfect in their roles as father and daughter. They don't oversell it.
Of all of Coppola's films to date, this one is my favorite. Grade: A
...
and in honor... a la Lost In Translation: