Somewhere

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I like Sofia's films, I do. Especially 'Lost in Translation.' I'm even one of the few people who enjoyed her last film, it was unexpected and it was gutsy. So I really, really wanted to like this film.

But it's... Well, it feels as if Sofia had told herself: 'I'm gonna be soooo European!' And so we have long long looooong static shots where nothing happens or where the action is repeated over and over again. You know, when you have one or two of those shots in a film, as a viewer you are forced to look at what is happening and you start to analyze the shot and what it means and why we're being shown it and what it all means. And this shot becomes powerful and meaningful.
But, when 90% of the film is composed of those shots, it makes you think that the story was so thin and the director so tired that they were able to get a 10-page screenplay into a 90-minute film. I even think that the 'threatening' phone messages were added at the last minute to pretend to have a story. Or to pretend to add some kind of depth, because those messages, dude, it's like: his conscience. That's deep, man. In the end, these messages mean fuck all.

So, yeah: the film is not in anyway 'deep' or 'meaningful,' mostly because it tries too hard to be just that. But in the end, it's just redundant and it pretty much beats a very dead horse.

We get it: he's a famous actor and he leads an epmty life. From the first shot, we get it: he's going in circles. He's bored. He's lonely. Then spending time with his daughter brings some meaning into his life. When she leaves he feels lonelier than ever. This is literally the film. I said above it was a 10-page screenplay. I guess it actually is a 2-line screenplay.

What's even sadder is that most of the themes from 'Lost in Translation' are here: the culture-clash (Italy instead of Japan), the loneliness, life in hotels. It even has the 'big line' that no one can hear at the end. It even tries to have a super-powerful ending, but it's not powerful, it's flat and boring and completely meaningless and predictable.

Sorry, Sofia. But for this film: computer says no.

So it tries to be 'Lost in Translation,' but it lacks the depth, it lacks Bill Murray and it really lacks Scarlett's luscious lips.

I'll be honest, though: when I saw that Dorff was the main actor I thought: 'WTF?!' (Haha, get it?) But he actually manages to come off as kind of likeable, which must have been hard for him to portray.

The only feelings that came up while watching this film were some kind of nostalgia for LA.

Bottom line: This is an extra-long episode of 'Entourage,' without the humor. It feels like an American-made Rohmer film. And not in a good way.