Somewhere
There was an intriguing, engaging and heartbreaking story of a man trying to reconnect with his child as he realises the futility of his materialistic, drug and sex driven existence. Unfortunately, Sofia Coppola’s latest cinematic release has all the beautiful trademarks of her early work but fails to pack a punch in the storyline. This sounds harsh but she did set herself a high benchmark following Lost in Translation and The Virgin Suicides and this was made higher by the tagging of the film with this former hit and thus I couldn’t help but leave the cinema disappointed.
On the positives, the film had all the hallmarks of Sophia Coppola’s film making genius and her ability to convey a sense of isolation amongst chaos. Her main actors hit the mark and much has been rightly made of Elle Fanning and Stephen Dorff as the father/daughter duo. Their on screen chemistry is perfect and Stephen Dorff brings a sense of humanity to an otherwise selfish character: his blank stare at the poll dancing duo is a poignant opening that quickly conveys the message of the film. Similarly, the soundtrack by Phoenix enhances the mood of the film and lulls the audience into Johnny Marco’s world of opulence, girls, booze, and film premiers. Finally, the cinematography is beautiful and brings back shades of Lost in Translation.
However, the thing that made Lost in Translation so beautiful as well as powerful was the relationship between Murray and Johansson that blossomed and ultimately died in front of our eyes. Their joint isolation and mutual relationship dissatisfaction made their union an engaging dance with that final whisper in her ear being a scene that will remain a part of cinematic history (along with that famous opening shot but that’s not really emotional is it?). All this is missing in the latest effort and shows up more so for all its other strengths. Granted, she couldn’t remake that story but a self-pitying Hollywood actor who decides to give it all away – yawn, I’ve seen it a hundred times and I’m still don’t feel any more sorry for them. Moreover, the final scene is so clichéd I only stayed around for the credits to find out who did the soundtrack.
The reason I think behind this is her critical failure in Marie Antoinette. Personally, this is one of my favourite films of all time, not just counting Sophia Coppola films, and was a raucous mix of history, fashion and social commentary. However, the general reaction to the film was criticism and as such it didn’t attain the commercial success of her previous outings. This saw a long wait for her next work and I feel that this has hampered her creative output this time around. I don’t blame her for wanting to ensure box office and critical success but in playing it safe with such a well worn storyline has its downfall.
The Tourist
Johnny Depp looks blank/stupid or heroic/earnest.
Angelina Jolie pouts her lips and acts annoyed at Depp.
Paul Bettany acts likes an infuriated British plodder.
Shock twist at the end of the film.
This may seem a harsh summary of an awful film so here it is in simple language: it was crap and everyone sleep walked their way through their roles. Scriptwriting 101 plus good actors does not a good movie make, as my wife said: “It seems they just did the film to get paid.” Enough said.
Blue Valentine
I was meant to see this film about a month ago with a complementary ticket to the Canberra film festival but it was sold out and I left feeling like I hadn’t really missed out on anything. How wrong could I be?
This is the best film I’ve seen since Inception and all the more impressive because it doesn’t tell a new or exciting story. It is a love story: boy meets girl, they fall in love, have a family and run into trouble. Whereas in Somewhere a well worn story fails to pack a punch, this film has emotional grit to spare and isn’t afraid to explore sensitive issues head-on (the paedophile joke on the bus in just one example).
Gosling and Williams make an excellent leading couple whose disintegrating marriage we follow, interceded by a series of flashbacks, to its painful conclusion. Gosling’s earnestness is matched with Williams’ vulnerability and together we see all the phases of love: the chase, initial lust, marriage and dissatisfaction. The most powerful thing about the film was its rawness and realness: I felt like I had lived and seen those scenes played out in my own life and felt their pain at going through them. The smile on Williams’ face when she meets an old flame and the ensuing argument with Gosling capture the reality of married life and the daily struggle of living with another person; a person with their own wants, desires and fantasies.
I couldn’t say too much more without giving away the important plot points but the build to the film’s final crisis is superbly timed and makes the journey feel complete. How does it end? I think the film leaves it open enough and I’m an optimist. See it. Cry during it. Love it.
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