Between The Arclight, Netflix streaming, Amazon Video on Demand, those crazy 50% off Criterion Collection sales at Barnes & Noble, weekly trips to Amoeba, and having a DVD rental shop downstairs my loft, seeing movies has never been easier. This year I've managed to see a lot of great films, both old and new. Here are my favorites from 2010.
1. Somewhere - SOFIA COPPOLA There is so much space in this film, yet so much precision. Faded modernity Antonioni only hinted at. Silence has never sounded this good.
2. Black Swan - DARREN ARONOFSKY Natalie Portman is simply astonishing. I can't remember the last time I saw acting this good.
3. A Single Man - TOM FORD Of course its impeccably designed- not one second out of place. But you wouldn't necessarily expect the emotional knockout at the end.
4. I Am Love - LUCA GUADAGNINO Vintage Janus, Italian-style. So rich, and so symphonic, the sort of film Cannes went bananas for in the '60s. It may sound tired, but they sure don't make 'em like this anymore.
5. The Kids Are All Right - LISA CHOLODENKO Julianne Moore and Annette Bening are sensational. Free City is everywhere.
So it's no secret that I'm ridiculously excited to see Somewhere. It comes out on my birthday in a few weeks, but I am getting more impatient every day. Last night we walked into the Arclight to see if we could get tickets for Black Swan, and as soon as I walked in I remembered that there was an Academy screening for it (starting in ten minutes) including a Q&A with Sofia after the film. Of course I'm no Academy member and the tickets were gone. Still, seeing the poster up and people in line to actually see it was pretty exciting.
Today I downloaded the screenplay and it just furthers my belief that Sofia Coppola is untouchable. She is pure perfection in line with Martha Stewart and Gwyneth Paltrow. Below are some of my favorite parts, namely the ones that are very L.A. and further her dedication to geography and sense of place in cinema.
Driving past Sunset Plaza in harsh sunlight. People hang out at cafes. A Tom Ford billboard looms overhead.
He looks out the window as they drive up La Cienega, passing the Beverly Center at sunset.
Johnny pulls up at a nice house in Hancock Park, dropping Cleo at home.
He blows it off. They pull up and park at a Mall in the Valley.
They pull up to a small duplex on Fountain.
In the little hotel kitchen overlooking Sunset Blvd., Cleo makes macaroni and cheese.
Johnny drives aimlessly through LA, down Mulholland.
Congratulations to Sofia Coppola on winning the Golden Lion at the 67th Annual Venice Film Festival for her forthcoming feature, Somewhere. Starring Stephen Dorff and Elle Fanning, Sofia describes her latest film as a "portrait of today's L.A."
More details of Sofia Coppola's fourth film, Somewhere, were announced recently- including the poster and trailer. The US release is set for December 22 (my birthday!). The trailer is gorgeous, showing Chateau Marmont in that beautiful hazy summer light in a way that only Sofia can. The music is by Phoenix and The Strokes. It goes without saying just how major this film is going to be.
