Somewhere

To the people who thought that in Sofia Coppola’s second directorial outing - Lost In Translation - not much happened and the plot went nowhere, I offer you a caveat, do not see this movie. In fact, Coppola herself seemingly gives this message with an opening static shot of a Ferrari driving around in circles. For those who enjoyed Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson finding comfort in strangers in a far away land then Somewhere may have something for you.

Stephen Dorff plays a successful actor disillusioned with the world around him, living in the famous Chateau Marmont while stumbling through encounters with various women, two painfully bad pole dancers press reporters asking both mundane and existential questions. A change to his routine is presented in the form of his 11 year old daughter Cleo - played by Elle Fanning with an upbeat yet understated charm. The two then spend time together doing nothing of great significance on a backdrop of one of LA's most famous hotels and on a trip to Italy.

While the accusation of nothing happening is certainly a quite valid one, there's still some joy to be found over the 95 minute running time. Central is the relationship between Johnny and Cleo; even in something as trivial as a game of Guitar Hero or watching a dubbed episode of Friends, there's a subtle sincerity to their relationship. Praise must be given too to Chris Pontius - yes, Party Boy himself - who in what little screen time he has as a blow in friend shows a more amicable and caring side than any of the co-stars of Entourage could have hoped for in seven seasons.

If there's one thing Lost In Translation showed, it's that Sofia Coppola knows how to make a hotel look good. From the cold and lifeless scenes in the Chateau Marmont to warmer moments between father and daughter in the Italian hotel, Harry Savides - familiar with slow burning pieces from his work with Gus Van Sant - captures the beauty in simplicity between four walls. It also pays to have a famous musician as your significant other, while music is used very sparingly throughout, French alt rockers Phoenix add perfectly to the films more tender moments.

Somewhere is not an easy watch but is a certainly rewarding one. It's hard to empathise with a bored celebrity who seemingly has it all but the core relationship of a family reacquainting with each other is worth it.