——Inscription
In all fairness, "Somewhere" is definitely a niche movie. This is just like director Jia Zhangke, a wonderful figure in the Chinese literary and film industry. Although he was not well received, he was soft-hearted when he won the award, which basically made up for most of the shortcomings. Taking money to engage in literature and art, using one's own unique attitude to examine the details of life, but also to control it with ease, is almost a move that most directors are discouraged by. In this regard, the Coppola family seems to be favored by God. Literature and art are their unique talents, and various awards are even more favored to them. Judging from the shell of the film "Somewhere", it is completely different from other major types of film works. It is more like detaching and jumping out of the established frame of the film itself. "Pseudo-realism" approach to interpret the mental state of daily life. We are across the screen, not like enjoying a light and shadow work at all, but rather like in "The Truman World", it is a live broadcast of a life competition. However, it is lazy and sluggish, empty and boring.
Sofia Coppola can be called a master-level director, with subtle metaphors and poignant satire, bound to fill every frame of the film. The long shot at the beginning, on the surface, is a promotional video about the performance of a Ferrari sports car, but in fact, just a few strokes point out the boring and empty life of the hero Johnny. "Waiting", the main theme of the whole film, also gradually emerged with the circulating runway and flying dust. As a successful and famous film and television star, Johnny lives in luxury hotels, wandering around in sensuality and feasting every day, a kind of corrupt and extravagant life style that most ordinary people yearn for. Money worship, hedonism, and individualism have always been scorned by "just" people, but you might as well ask yourself, if you have enough ability to achieve all three at the same time, you will be willing to accept it and try to maintain this comfort all the time. state of life. Rather than saying Johnny was lucky, he was trapped in a life cycle of envy to others. He can't find the basis of his life from beginning to end, and he is confused to find the motivation to continue to live. The passion of life is not the flamboyant beauties, the soul-stirring pole dancing, or the unbridled hormones, but a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction that can only be understood and indescribable. Johnny chose to stand still, do nothing, and just continue to "wait".
Elle Fanning's Cleo, Johnny's illegitimate daughter, breathes a new life into his life. It's blunt to say that she's just an adjunct to a failed security measure. But to Johnny, this lovely and smart girl is the grace of God, and it is also the only sustenance for him to find the turning point in his life. Compared to her elder sister Dakota Fanning, Elle Fanning is now rather obscure. Although she can appreciate her free and assertive personality, many of the scenes portrayed in the front are still not natural enough. The Italian version of "Friends" is quite emotional to watch. By the way, I don't forget to mention "Twilight". It is not a commercial brand, but it is actually a snapshot of real-life footage, which is both casual and nuanced.
Several sets of montages showing the intersection of father and daughter's life are all moving in their plain and peaceful manner. In his career, Johnny is very bright and has countless diehards and fans; but behind this radiant light, there is another body entirely. Step-by-step, flowing machinery, and lifelessness are the real labels of his life. He's waiting to wake up one day with no more breakfast from room service; waiting to find out that he has a new passion, a new goal, not a tedious printed script; waiting A mysterious turning point in life leads to a place that has never been before. However, just dazedly dreaming like this, without putting it into action, can you reach the end of the journey of boring life? Hang up the "Don't Disturb" number and continue to wander in your own fantasy world. Picked up the phone and almost choked out "I don't know what to do". "Waiting" will go on forever, until old age and without end.
If there is a father, there must be a daughter. In fact, Cleo is also waiting. There is no age difference in the enclosure of suffering and waiting. She waited for her mother to come home, for her father to stop being busy, and for the short good time to come again. Her waiting is pure and real, passive and uncontrollable. Across the huge roar of the helicopter, Johnny hesitated. "I will always be by your side", when he said this, he was still not sure whether he could really do it. It was still so difficult to give up something that seemed to be long overdue, and the powerlessness and confusion in his heart still occupied all his thoughts. Fortunately, Cleo didn't notice. Many, many details like this, a look, a smile, a gesture, etc., all run through the film "Somewhere". It seems like an original life sitcom that has not been edited. The most commonly used artistic techniques of modification, weakening and highlighting have been completely removed.
Living in a huge network of interpersonal circles, we don't want to be like Johnny, trying to change the current state of existence, whether it is proud or depressing. But this step of change, even if it is a trivial one, is always difficult for us to overcome. Instead, we are waiting for an irresistible force to force us forward. Just as we were in a dilemma and stagnant, Johnny gave up waiting, and his smile and the Ferrari left by the roadside were enough to prove it. Here, here, in Somewhere. We have been waiting and looking for "somewhere", but we don't know whether we are waiting for "somewhere" or "somewhere" waiting for us.
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