Critical Analysis: Sofia Coppola

Sofia Coppola on IMDB

Notable films include:

The Virgin Suicides
Lost In Translation
Marie Antoinette
Somewhere
The Bling Ring
A Very Murray Christmas

 

Lost in Translation is her most talked about film, for good reason, it's a masterpiece. But I really, really, really loved Somewhere. It was so sparse and detached, a lot of more casual movie viewing friends I knew had a hard time with it. But the climax really hit home for me. Also, Chris Pontius was incredible. Part of that was that sparseness and detachment really elevating his natural warmth, charm, and fun by contrast. I haven't seen Somewhere since theaters, I'd really like to revisit it.

I missed the Bling Ring but Lost in Translation and Somewhere are so strong I should give it a viewing sometime.

 

She is taken for granted because her career's peak thus far came in 2003, but everything she has made has done a fascinating job at investigating the mental decay of the wealthy class. The Bling Ring makes the same mistake so many films of its type make, identifying too much with the people and subject it is supposed to satire (see Popstar this year), but the rest of the work features protagonists that have trouble coming to terms with reducing expectations. Marie Antoinette is the one that people misinterpreted the most, showing the ways in which the ruling class are less immoral than oblivious to the reality of their nation. A Very Murray Christmas is dismissed as fluff, seen only as a Christmas special, meaning people missed its portrayal of the permanent depression seen through the eyes of people who appear warm and happy as a defense mechanism.

Lost in Translation is close to perfect, and anyone who has spent an extended period of time alone in a foreign land will see parallels with their own experience. We may not be Bob and Charlotte in direct terms although the traits are universal. Her work is dismissed as too focused on the rich while these same people praise Martin Scorsese for yet another Italian-American gangster film or a Spike Lee film about the urban black experience. There is nothing wrong with focusing on subject matter you know, and hopefully we see her again soon.

 

only seen Lost In Translation, The Bling Ring, and A Very Murray Christmas

the concepts in The Bling Ring aren't fully formed but there's a lot to love about it such a the cinematography and Emma Watson's performance

 

Okay so, I thought Lost in Translation was super boring but maybe I should go back and watch it again?

Loved The Bling Ring & Marie Antoinette is one of my all time favorite movies. I really want to see The Virgin Suicides & Somewhere as well

 

I didn't like Bling Ring simply because it made me hate the main characters. They actually got me feeling sorry for Paris Hilton.

 

Lost in Translation and Her can be read into as interesting companion pieces, as both address Coppola's and Jonze's relationship with each other. One of my favorite Giovanni Ribisi performances is as the Spike Jonze avatar.

 

And Anna Faris is suppose to be Cameron Diaz over a rumored affair they had after Being John Malkovich