Movie Review: Sofia Coppola’s “Somewhere” (2010)

“Somewhere” is Sofia Coppola’s 2010 film, starring Stephen Dorff as Johnny and Elle Fanning as Cleo.

The film surrounds movie star Johnny as he enjoys the good life, when he’s asked to watch his daughter Cleo for a few days.

For one, this film seemed to be a cultural timepiece. From the fast cars and strip room-service to the Guitar Hero and “Twilight” references, I couldn’t help but wonder if one of Coppola’s aims was to create a film that represented upper/middle class modern society.

In comparison to “Lost in Translation,” I felt this film was lacking. The scenery was boring and not surreal whatsoever, while like the beginning of the film, the shots were too long and we seemed to go in circles heading nowhere. Indeed, ‘somewhere’ some movie star is off watching a stripper or having lunch with his daughter. But unlike “Lost in Translation” where Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson truly bonded, there was little chemistry between Stephen Dorff and Elle Fanning. Yes, it’s clear that Johnny loved Cleo, and she made him happier than any of his strippers, but this wasn’t enough to keep the film afloat.