Review of "Somewhere"

Somewhere (2010)
Directed by Sofia Coppola
Written by Sofia Coppola
Starring: Stephen Dorff and Elle Fanning
Review by Jennie Brouse

Synopsis: When a young eleven-year-old girl unexpectedly comes to stay with her father, a successful, albeit unreliable man, he is forced to confront what is important to him in his life.

Review: In Sofia Coppola's Somewhere, Johnny Marco (played by Stephen Dorff) is a laid back, middle-age actor, essentially floating through life without any concerns about his life passing him by. That is, until his 11 year old daughter, Cleo (played by Elle Fanning), comes into his life, and has to stay with him for a few weeks. Although the movie is very subtle and slow-moving (with long shots of Dorff and Fanning sitting by a pool together, driving in a car, etc.), the intended message becomes clear.

The presence of Marco's daughter in his life forces him to examine his life thus far, and to re-determine his priorities. The characters are portrayed in a simple, realistic way that helps the viewer understand and feel for the father and daughter, and hope that their relationship will continue to grow, even if Cleo goes back to live with her mother. Overall, Somewhere was a well-written, simplistic film that did very well at showing the audience a seemingly real relationship between a father and a daughter, a relationship where not everything is perfect, but somehow we know that Johnny will stick with his kid.


Overall Rating: 4/5

Upcoming Review: Pirate Radio (2009)