Life Cinematic: Sofia Coppola, review: distance put a dampener on this film buffs’ paradise

Conducting an interview from a safe distance is a skill that television presenters have had to master during the pandemic. Interviews via video link are commonplace on the news, of course. Over the past year, entertainment shows have been forced to include them too, but they can make for awkward television.

Life Cinematic: Sofia Coppola (BBC Four) was a prime example. Life Cinematic is an excellent series for film buffs, in which a director takes us through scenes from films that inspired them. Previous episodes are well worth looking up, featuring chats with Sam Mendes, Sam Taylor-Johnson and Edgar Wright (who is interviewed by our own critic Robbie Collin). But for this episode, presenter Edith Bowman was in London, while Coppola was beamed in from New York, and they struggled to make a connection.

Perhaps it would have worked with a more forthcoming guest. The shortcomings were not the fault of Bowman, who was an enthusiastic and well-prepared host, but of Coppola. She was polite but seemed shy, which is the kiss of death for this sort of programme. And she hadn’t seen some of her chosen films in years, whereas Bowman had clearly mugged up on them in advance of the interview. Despite her vast film knowledge, Coppola’s replies to Bowman’s questions often amounted to a listless “Oh, wow”, and “It’s so good”, and “Cool way to show that moment”.

Bowman did her best to keep things going, but with so much distance between them there was no opportunity to establish a rapport or break through Coppola’s carapace of cool. Even when discussing her own films, such as Lost in Translation, Coppola wasn’t terribly animated.

Clips shows, though, are pretty pandemic-proof – we can all sit back and enjoy the content. And what saved this episode was Coppola’s impeccable choice of films. To Die For, A Place in the Sun, Brief Encounter, Fish Tank, La Notte, The Servant – it was an eclectic, international list spanning decades and genres, and every one a gem. Flat delivery aside, Coppola did highlight the artistry in the selected scenes, from sound design to art direction. I loved the study of a scene in Wong Kar Wai’s In the Mood for Love: the director’s decision to shoot the

lead actors in profile rather than cut between them, the precise way of framing each shot, the beauty of the jade green tea cups. I was left with the desire to dig out all of these films and watch them from beginning to end.