When I had the opportunity to see Sofia's Coppola's new film 'Somewhere' in 2010, being the last film at that particular film festival, I was more than skeptical and not so excited as I was not a fan of her commercial hit 'Lost in translation.'

From the opening credits, I was surprised and fascinated, as a sportcar drove fast around a desolated racing circuit in the desert. The camera observes this statically on a tripod. The car eventually stops. Johnny Marco, Stephen Dorff emerges and stands nonchalantly.

Through the film's 98 minutes, we are delivered scenes in much a similar style. The camera shows, rather than tells, as Johnny smokes in his hotel room, watches girls pole dance in his room, breathes underneath a mould casting of his head, sits outside a restaurant before a random text comes through on his phone such as 'Why are you such an arsehole?' A text never explained, never acted on, never brought up again. A moment in the film, nothing more, nothing less, reflecting Johnny and who he is.

Instead, 'Somewhere' focuses on an aimless actor, whilst he spends time with his 11 year old daugther Chloe through moments. In a scene, when Johnny watches Chloe ice skate, the camera simply cuts from his POV back to his profile over a few minutes before she finishes and he claps. Or to take another scene, where Johnny lies on his bed being entertained by a pole dancing duet, the camera simply follows the same aesthetic.

Whilst all this may seem devoid of any meaning or substance, Coppola's virtuosity is in keeping empathy for characters without pouring out mushy sentiment. Johnny Marco as a character goes along a journey and he changes in the end but the film's brilliance is in not speaking to the audience with a hollywood language. The story subtly guides you along a more comfortable, more moody and a search for the essential in quiet scenes.

I was astonished to read the screenplay recently, which begins with the opening scene taking up less than a quarter of the page. In screenwriting language, a page equals one minute in screen time and in the film, this scene takes up nearly three minutes. In fact, the entire script is full of short scenes which are blown up in the film, constrasted in it's 98 minutes duration, to it's 44 page screenplay.

The winner of the Golden Lion at Venice in 2010, the year Quentin Tarantino was head of the jury, 'Somewhere' is something to remember. Like 'Lost in translation', it follows a relationship between a woman and an actor, but in this case, it's a father and daughter and a far better film overall, less potentious and arrogant but some people may think it's the other way around.