Sofia Coppola has no desire to see “Her” written and directed by ex-husband Spike Jonze.
For the 20th anniversary of “Lost in Translation” in a Rolling Stone interview, Coppola addressed Jonze’s 2013 film “Her” which is said to have been inspired by their 2003 divorce, the same year “Lost in Translation” was released. Both “Her” and “Lost in Translation” are thought to be examinations of the Jonze/Coppola marriage from each side.
“I never saw it!” Coppola said of “Her,” adding that the parallel between the two films despite being a decade apart is uncanny. “From the trailer, it looks the same too. We have the same production designer. But I haven’t seen it. I know people really like that movie, but I haven’t seen it.”
She added, “I don’t know if I want to see Rooney Mara as me.”
“Her” follows a lonely man (Joaquin Phoenix) in the near-future as he grapples with a break-up from Mara’s character and seeks solace from an AI system, voiced by Scarlett Johansson, who also starred in Coppola’s “Lost in Translation.” Coppola’s 2003 film is said to also have incorporated a Jonze stand-in, played by Giovanni Ribisi, who is Johansson’s aloof husband in the film.
Coppola addressed the “Lost in Translation” rumor that Anna Faris’ ditzy Hollywood actress who flirts with Ribisi while staying at the same hotel is modeled after Cameron Diaz.
“It really wasn’t based on her,” Coppola said. “It was a combination of a bunch of people. It was a type, so it wasn’t a diss on her. Someone else was more the personality of [Anna Faris’ character].”
Coppola is currently promoting film “Priscilla,” based on Priscilla Presley’s memoir. Jacob Elordi stars as Elvis Presley, with Cailee Spaeny portraying Priscilla. The film debuted at Venice and is set to screen at NYFF.
As for the common thread in her films of women trapped in lush settings with older men, Coppola told Rolling Stone, “As far as the gilded cage, I’m interested in the façade and the trappings and then the reality that comes with it. [As for ‘Priscilla,’] maybe she’s more mature and he’s still connected to his child side. Yeah, I definitely think [Elvis] was stunted, but there’s a darker side of it. But…I don’t know. I can’t analyze myself. I think it’s romantic when you have a connection with someone that you can’t be with for so many reasons, but they still see a side of you that maybe someone of your generation doesn’t.”
