The Directors Project: #22 - Sofia Coppola

Scene from Cinema Paradiso

With the many lists and essays written on the subject of film, there has been one thing that The Oscar Buzz has tried to understand: Who is my favorite of the film world? For 10 weeks this summer, I will be exploring this with a countdown of the Top 50 names based on a numerical ranking of ratings from various sources, the following is a list of directors who rank above everyone else. With occasional upsets, this is intended as both a discussion opener as well as a better understanding of me as a film critic and fan. Please enjoy and leave any comments you have regarding the entry's selection.

SOFIA COPPOLA

Years Active: 1972-present

Films as Director: 5

Oscar Wins: 1 (Best Original Screenplay - Lost in Translation)

Who: Following in the footstep of her father Francis Ford Coppola, Sofia is a director who came from pedigree by appearing in The Godfather before she could walk. Despite a rocky acting career, she eventually transitioned into a director and became one of the modern greats. With focus specifically on women of wealth pondering on their issues, her films are brooding, gestating tales that weren't flashy, but always beautiful. She managed to take the single take and find a meditative quality in between indie music and a flowing narrative. If nothing else, she has been a phenomenal presence in independent film making and despite a polarizing approach, she remains a distinctive voice whose stories of women are a nice welcome from the typical male gaze. While it isn't likely that she'll ever reach the acclaim of her father, she will go down as one of the best female directors of her time.

POINTS TALLY

Scene from The Virgin Suicides

-- Lost in Translation (2003) --

Flickchart Ranking: #25 (900 points)

IMDb Rating: 7/10 (70 points)

Perks: Complete Filmography (50 points)

Total: 970 points

-- The Virgin Suicides (1999) --

Flickchart Ranking: #53 (850 points)

IMDb Rating: 6/10 (60 points)

Perks: Complete Filmography (50 points)

Total: 910 points

-- The Bling Ring (2013) --

Flickchart Ranking: #137 (800 points)

IMDb Rating: 6/10 (60 points)

Perks: Complete Filmography (50 points)

Total: 870 points

-- Somewhere (2010) --

Flickchart Ranking: #483 (450 points)

IMDb Rating: 6/10 (60 points)
Perks: Complete Filmography (50 points)

Total: 510 points

-- Marie Antoinette (2006) --

Flickchart Ranking: #831 (200 points)

IMDb Rating: 5/10 (50 points)

Perks: Complete Filmography (50 points)

Total: 300 points

OVERALL TOTAL: 3550 points 

WHY DO I LOVE?

Scene from The Bling Ring

I will admit that outside of Lost in Translation, it took awhile to come around to Coppola's magic. Her approach is slow, meditative atmospheres to contemporary subjects in ways that look vapid on the surface. However, the further that I gazed in, the more that I admired her work. There was subtle humor, poignant commentary, and flawed characters that challenged you to analyze them. She isn't at all flashy, but she does create beautiful films that speak to the modern age by looking at angst. In the end, her work is distinguished and continues to grow into interesting directions that I can only hope will continue to expand.

UP NEXT: An old school horror master who revolutionized how mainstream film was viewed.