Sofia Coppola's 'Somewhere' -- nowhere in the Oscar race
Didn't I warn you that "Lost in Translation" was ridiculously overrated? Sofia Coppola has yet to live up to her overblown reputation as a filmmaker. Her subsequent screen venture "Marie Antoinette" went under the chopping block of film criticism. Now "Somewhere" is D.O.A.
"Somewhere" had some early Oscar buzz in some circles, but Jeffrey Wells (Hollywood Elsewhere) reports: "Sofia Coppola's 'Somewhere,' generally regarded as a minor effort compared to 'Lost in Translation,' is out of the awards game altogether."
Time magazine's Richard Corliss dismisses the movie as a disappointment.
Photo: Stephen Dorff and Elle Fanning in "Somewhere." Credit: Focus Features
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without Bill Murray LIT would be very average and self indulgent.
Posted by: overrated | October 06, 2010 at 07:52 PM
Quit worrying about the "awards game". What a waste of time. The Academy have proven themselves time and time again to be out of touch true artistry in film.
And "Lost In Translation" is hardly overrated. One of the best films I've ever seen.
Posted by: Collin Buchanan | October 05, 2010 at 11:04 AM
Why no mention of Virgin Suicides? maybe her best in my opinion.
Posted by: Alex | September 26, 2010 at 07:05 AM
How did this film win an award when it got such mixed reviews? from Time magazine, LA Times etc..?
Posted by: Loudubs | September 14, 2010 at 10:49 PM
Wow must be nice to have your ex boyfriend give you an award. lol.
Posted by: Mmm | September 13, 2010 at 12:03 AM
And yet it just won top prize at the Venice Film Festival!!!
I consider most "film critics" as never was or never will be film makers.
Posted by: noah55 | September 12, 2010 at 01:36 PM
Also Quentin Tarantino, Coppola's ex, was the head judge. Unfair bias, no?
Posted by: amy | September 12, 2010 at 07:30 AM
Cinema cynics will instantly dismiss this as a retread of Coppola's LIT. I agree that Coppola's name recognition and Italian heritage played a huge role in her winning the Venice award
Posted by: billyjoe | September 12, 2010 at 04:04 AM
Safe choice for a safe movie. Wild lesbian sex scenes ..not for the judges. And she's italian so that makes Venice happy. But how lazy to remake your own movie.
Posted by: anon | September 11, 2010 at 09:00 PM
Well, it just won the Venice top prize. Now, I know that this rarely--if ever, indicates Oscar glory, but it couldn't be that bad. I for one am pretty excited for it.
And Lost in Translation was NOT overrated.
Posted by: Jeff C. | September 11, 2010 at 05:38 PM
Lost in Translation is "overrated"? Sofia Copolla is one one of the great American film makers working today, and she proves so in Lost in Translation. It is one of the best films of the past decade and for you to claim otherwise,Tom O'Neil, makes me wonder why you even write about film in the first place.
Posted by: robert castro | September 09, 2010 at 09:19 AM
Lost In Translation was brilliant. It was a character study, so, of cours, you didn't like it, Tom.
Posted by: Hugh | September 07, 2010 at 08:10 PM
Her take on Marie Antoinette was like watching a direct to dvd release of Paris Hilton's courtesan themed Halloween party. Not only was it disrespectful to French history, it was absurd and repulsively revolting.
As for Lost in Translation, I don't necessary see the director having anything to do with the strengths of that movie. It was a one man movie which relied entirely on Murray. Murray's brilliance made the film happen. Without Murray's performance, the movie stands on nothing because there is no the dialogue, no rising action, no conflict, no nothing. It weighs solely on how convincing Murray could be and he delivered. I remember watching the bonus dvd features the other day and it felt like Murray was the director. He talked at large about plot and dialogue decisions he had to make in order to make the character real and alive. Sofia just stood there nodding her head.
The woman is overrated on my book.
Posted by: Afrika | September 07, 2010 at 06:40 PM
Overrated. Oh what do you know?
"Lost in Translation" rules dumbass.
"Marie Antoinette" was very underrated because of its unconventional approach.
Sofia Coppola rocks. I'm a critic but not Armond White or whoever liked "Vampire Sucks".
Posted by: Steven Flores | September 07, 2010 at 01:46 PM
why don't we leave the criticism to the audience, eh? the movie isn't released until christmas for goodness sake.
i think every critic should trying making a movie. then we can provide opinion.
get a real job.
Posted by: Jenna F | September 07, 2010 at 10:00 AM