Marie Antoinette and 4 Other Best Movies Made by Sofia Coppola
Stories about love, loneliness, jealousy, and despair.
Despite the weight of her family name, Sofia Coppola has managed to establish herself as an original filmmaker with a unique cinematic style.
Her films can be recognized by a few frames saturated with feelings and painstakingly selected details.
1. The Virgin Suicides, 1999
Sofia Coppola admitted that she never considered becoming a director until she read Jeffrey Eugenides' novel The Virgin Suicides, a tragic story about five sisters from a small town who committed suicide in the 1970s.
She then decided that she could perfectly adapt the novel, and she was right. Her film faithfully transfers the action of the novel to the big screen and recreates its atmosphere of melancholy, which is similar to a dream or a time-blurred memory.
2. Somewhere, 2010
The plot of Somewhere boils down to one simple sentence: a successful Hollywood actor must babysit his young daughter.
It's easy to see Francis Ford Coppola in the father and Sofia Coppola in the daughter. Sofia was forced to wander around festivals and live in hotels constantly as a child.
The lack of a traditional plot structure doesn't ruin the film –quite the contrary; it gives Coppola the opportunity to demonstrate her talents as a director and screenwriter once again.
3. Lost in Translation, 2003
Coppola's second film not only cemented the success of her debut but also proved that she was an accomplished filmmaker. She knows how to immerse viewers in the right atmosphere and create chemistry between actors.
Lost in Translation is, among other things, the movie in which Bill Murray delivered his best performance, and it is simply an enduring film about loneliness in the big city and the power of friendship.
4. The Beguiled, 2017
John, a wounded corporal in the Union Army, is saved from death by a young Southern girl from a boarding school. The staff takes care of him, doing everything they can to cure him.
One by one, the girls are enchanted by the charming man as he recovers. Gradually, the atmosphere at the school heats up as each girl dreams of winning his favor.
After The Bling Ring, widely considered her worst film, Sofia Coppola made a triumphant return with The Beguiled, winning the prestigious Cannes Film Festival award for Best Director.
5. Marie Antoinette, 2006
Over time, Marie Antoinette has regained its rightful place as one of the best movies of the 2000s and of Sofia Coppola's career.
Initially, the press coldly received this film for its daring attempt at an artistic interpretation of the life of a historical figure. The soundtrack featuring The Cure, New Order, and Aphex Twin in the biopic about the French queen, were considered vulgar and even offensive by some.
In hindsight, it's clear that Coppola was drawing a parallel between Marie Antoinette and a misunderstood modern teenage girl rebelling against outdated norms.