Somewhere

Somewhere is a superb work of art. Everything that happens, everything you see is there for a purpose. As slow as it is at first, and as seemingly interminable as some takes are, we are drawn into an exquisite portrait of alienation and a sense of being lost and alone. Elle Fanning gives an Oscar-worthy performance of authentic naturalness and wonderful subtlety. This is not an action film. This is a film which explores, with a sad irony, the impact of family dissolution, celebrity fawning, the globalization of culture which makes the foreign seem strange, not familiar. Coppola's sensibility is finely tuned and she conveys her vision with a steady hand, and ultimately brings us to tears. Not for you if you think Avatar is a great achievement. But a must see for people who like to explore the human condition and who are attuned to the existential tightrope of 21st century paradoxes. The images will stay with you long after you leave the theatre.