Pretty Missundaztood

Rating: 7/10 (22 March 2007)

There are valid reasons for panning this movie, but one should at least give director Sofia Coppola credit for essentially creating the film she intended to. This is a highly skewed biopic, but Coppola made choices, which we don't have to agree with, of course, but they were hers to make. The film ends quite a bit before MA's beheading, and it is an understatement to say it is not much interested in politics. One might detect a bit of directorial slackness going on here (personally, gliding over the issue of her children's paternity was a bit much for me), but Coppola clearly knew what she was doing and not doing. One of the things she seems bent on exploring is how much she can get away with. It turns out, quite a bit. While that may seem like a rather immature stance, it is artistically defensible. She is mainly interested in sound and vision, and this film pleases the senses in fascinating ways. I think the soundtrack is sublime. Will we ever get an undisputed masterpiece from Sofia Coppola? We might get a great film, but I would not expect everyone to like it.