Sofia Coppola, Stephen Dorff and Elle Fanning on Their Heartbreaking Film Somewhere

Sofia Coppola's new film is called Somewhere, but its location is specific: the present-day, alienating Los Angeles. Stephen Dorff stars as Johnny Marco, an action star whose boozy, despondent life brightens when his 11-year-old daughter Cleo (Elle Fanning) accompanies him abroad on a press tour for his insipid blockbuster Berlin Agenda. While Cleo's sunny optimism reinvigorates Johnny, it also confronts him with how joyless -- or is it worthless? -- he feels without her. Somewhere proves that with spiritual awakening comes damning reflection, and Coppola again exhibits her knack for weary characters who discover their sensitivities are firmly intact.

Movieline caught up with Coppola (who directed, wrote, and produced the film) and her two stars for an in-depth look at Somewhere's characters, conflicts, and hilarious -- and in one case, real -- moments of Hollywood insanity.

MOVIELINE: Somewhere is an obvious departure from Marie Antoinette, which was a big period piece. Do you feel more at home in a smaller-scale environment?

SOFIA COPPOLA: Yeah, I really enjoyed on Lost in Translation having a small crew, focusing on two characters, and working in an intimate way. After Marie Antoinette was such a big scale, I wanted to do something more like my experience with Lost in Translation. This was even more intimate. With a small crew, it was fun to work so closely on this guy and his relationship.

As director, writer, and producer, do you ever need extended periods of time to step away from your own material -- to put it in perspective a bit?

SC: I think when I start a movie, I'm so into it and I'm so motivated to get all the elements of it together and start to see it come to life. But then in the editing it's hard to keep perspective. It's good to take breaks so you can try to look at it fresh. I really don't get "distanced" until the movie's all done and kind of see it a few years later.

Let's talk about this character's name: "Johnny Marco." It's powerful and sleazy. Where did it come from?

SC: Oh, I don't know. I was just trying to think of a classic American movie star guy. I like the idea that maybe he has Italian roots, so when he goes to Italy, the journalists ask about that. But I don't know -- I just made it up. It was catchy.

Have you all met a lot of Johnny Marco-esque people? Rugged burnout stars?

SC: I definitely was thinking of a bunch of different people that I combined into him. The other day there was someone in the lobby who was a Johnny Marco type -- on crutches, in work boots and stuff. I was definitely thinking about a bunch of people I'd met or heard stories about or known. I tried to put them together in this character and bring them to life. I feel like Johnny's unique now too, though.

STEPHEN DORFF: Yeah. I've never met a Johnny Marco, and I've met a lot of actors before. Johnny's his own guy because he has this insane lifestyle, but there's kind of a broken part of him and a sweetness to him that Sofia really wanted in the part. We're dealing with a flawed character, so we needed a nice quality to him that makes you root for him, root for his change that he goes through. It makes him somewhat likable so that Cleo still cares about him because he's not the greatest father.

ELLE FANNING: He's still sort of trying to be, at least. You still feel like he loves Cleo, but sometimes he doesn't really know how to show it, I guess.

I find that people always want to know who inspires your characters, Sofia -- actual names. Does that get annoying?

SC: I've never thought about that. Johnny has been such a combination of people, but it's true, people really want you to name names. I don't want to name any person out of context, because you're always adding stories together as a writer. You put things you've seen and stories you've heard and put them all together.

Somewhere is a subtle movie, but I think some of its best moments are when we see clearly that Cleo is knowing and observant about her dad. Would you consider yourself intuitive like Cleo, Elle?

EF: [Laughs] I mean, I guess Cleo, she sort of knows what's going on. The scene in Italy when I'm at the breakfast table with [Johnny's] woman -- I'm giving him the stare. She's a girl who's growing up, so she's taking it all in.

How much do you all think Cleo knows about her father's sordid affairs?

SC: I feel like kids are lot more aware than people give them credit for.

SD: I find that kids, especially the new generation, Elle's generation, they're smart as whips. If they don't know the exact thing, they can definitely feel and know what's going on. I think when Elle looks at me when I come out of that room and says, "Why are you taking a shower in there?"

EF: I might even know!

SD: Exactly. I don't think she knows maybe what happened in there, but she knows that -- "Come on, Dad." Then she lets me go with that fib.

SC: I think she kind of feeds you an excuse.

EF: Yeah.

SD: It's pretty cool how kids are so sophisticated yet kind of scary sometimes. Puts a lot more pressure on adults.

EF: Yeah. You can't hide anything.

Elle, you've never taken an acting lesson in your life. The more you act, are you ever curious to learn formally?

SC (to Fanning): Don't mess with what you're doing!

EF: Ha! Well, my sister hasn't either. We never really have. We're just more -- read the script, then do it naturally, however the character would. Cleo, she's exactly like me. So I just did it however I would basically do it if I was in her situation.

Were there any big differences between you and Cleo?

EF: Well, her parents are divorced, and mine are still together -- I guess that one's of the main differences.

Cleo feels like she's a number of different ages in this movie. She's wise, but she also lets her dad pick her up and carry her around like a little kid. Did you sense that about her, Elle?

EF: Yes. She sort of acts like his mom, cooking him food and making sure he's ready for whatever he's supposed to do, but she always talks about Twilight as well! She has to be that mother to him, to make him snap out of whatever he's in.

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