Reviewed by Kate Rodger
Oscar-winner Sofia Coppola is back after the flamboyant disappointment of Marie Antoinette, with a far less extravagant, and just as ineffectual new outing, called Somewhere.
Stephen Dorff is Johnny Marco, celebrity, moviestar, father, who lives in Hollywood’s uber-cool Chateau Marmont hotel, and wafts through his 5 Star days drinking beer, popping pills, sleeping, watching girls dance, having sex, smoking, flying to Milan, doing junket interviews and awards shows, and generally looking bored out of his tiny mind.
I soon understood how he felt.
The first thing I couldn’t help wondering was where the hell has Stephen Dorff been and why? He has all the attributes of a Hollywood star – he’s hot, edgy, has a bit of the bad-boy tortured soul thing that girls love. Cast here, he’s kinda perfect.
Things change up a little for Marcon with the arrival of his 11-year-old daughter.Here a star is born, and she has the genes for it. Dakota’s little sis Elle Fanning is Chloe, and she plays this with a gentle restraint and subtle depth which bodes well for her future roles.
Now if I was feeling generous, which I’m not, I’d admire some of the long languid shots, Dorff’s obvious hotness, and the birth of a new child star in Elle Fanning. I’d excuse the pretention and indulgence, and appreciate the gentle observational style, as we peep behind the curtain of celebrity into the reality of their movie-star lives.
There’s a very good chance some of you art-house junkies with a love of the artistry of filmmaking will lap this film up, and I can totally get that you would, for all of those aforementioned reasons.
But what I really wanted, was for this film to end, which it predicatably did in a dull, derivative kind of way.
Two stars.
Somewhere
:: Director: Sophia Coppola
:: Starring: Stephen Dorff, Elle Fanning
:: Running Time: 98 mins
:: Rating: M: Contains Sex Scenes and Offensive language
:: Release Date: December 16, 2010
:: Trailer: Watch here
