087 4 Over a thousand reviews already . Who would expect a movie like this would excite so much commentary ? And who would expect it to be so controversial ? I don't see anything there that I'd expect people to get so worked up about .
I am amused though to see the occasional comment about insiders getting rewarded . . . obviously from people who have not much idea about how Hollywood works , or who have forgotten that for long chunks of his career even Francis Ford Coppola could not get films made . Money is the key .
Lost in Translation cost small change for Hollywood . Probably less than the Lord of the Rings trilogy spent on catering . According to one English paper that 4 million dollar budget has so far brought in 44 million , NOT counting DVD ( or maybe overseas markets ) . THAT is how and why films get money in Hollywood . And rewards . Ever known a flop win Best Picture Oscar ? Even Titanic has never made 11 times its budget . And all the hype in the world can't do that .
That gladdens my heart . I can't remember if it was P.T . Barnum or H.L . Mencken who said No one ever lost money underestimating the ( American ) public . Most Hollywood films prove him right .
The fact that Lost in Translation can make money also proves the opposite is true . That you can believe in the intelligence and insight of enough of the public ( maybe - judging from what I've read here - more outside of America than in ) and still make money .
In London we get to see a lot of European movies , and we don't always think a movie is an art film just because it has subtitles . Or just because it is not middle-of-the-road . Or because it moves at its own pace .
It's true Lost in Translation is a young person's film . But let's not forget most of Mozart's work is a young person's work too . When US movies seem to worship the young - at the expense of the mature - I don't even see why anyone complains about youth . Jaws was a young person's film too . So was Star Wars ( which remains irredeemably childish ) . Maybe people only complain about youth when it makes a movie to which they are unable to respond .
Lost in Translation speaks to the head and the heart . This story of an actor perhaps a little past his prime , and a young woman who is realising her marriage and life are going nowhere , is a film of rare insight and delicacy . It's beautifully judged , and walks a knife-edge where the relationship of these two adrift individuals in Tokyo is concerned . A directorial or writing mis-step either way and the whole edifice would come tumbling down . The fact that it doesn't is a superb reflection on Miss Coppola's abilities as a director . Many veteran directors could have done no better .
There was a time when Hollywood made many intelligent and subtle films like this and huge audiences - even in the US - loved them . One wonders what has happened when doing so causes so much outrage in the modern world . Even The Best Years of Our Lives would probably infuriate the Matrix crowd today .
003 4 Seeing this film in the theater , I fell in love with it before it even ended . But my anticipation of it's DVD release has been rewarded with disappointment :
1 . Universal's decision to bundle ten minutes of ads at the beginning , which cannot be skipped , is classless and grubbing .
2 . The mastering is poor - - compression artifacts are evident in dark scenes , and the overall image feels slightly blurred .
3 . The audio is poorly mastered , too , abruptly changing levels several times . Did anyone even supervise this transfer ?
4 . An insert of some kind would have been nice , even just a photo card . Opening the sleeve to just the disc is a mild letdown , and left me wondering if only my copy is like this .
It's a shame a movie this enjoyable was pushed through such a shoddy production process . Let's hope another distributor gets their hands on this soon and does it right .
016 4 Fantastic flick . Saw it three times back to back on a flight to Europe . Great to see it again on video . Murray rules . The guy next to me on the trip turned it off to play video games . Not surprised . It's not for the video game mentality . Read somewhere that the average length of shot in a mainstream movie these days was about 2 - 3 seconds . In Lost in Translation they're longer . Our characters reflect . We have time to see em do so . Obviously that tells on the attention spans of some people . Saw someone describe a thirty second title shot of Johansson's bottom - and who'd complain - as lasting 15 minutes . And the much vaunted long window shots take less than a minute IN TOTAL . If you have time for any kind of emotional sense at all you can take that . Maybe it's worth considering what you're looking at , or what people are thinking , rather than wanting to rush to the next car crash or explosion . Funny to see the guy before me saying that the movie was lost in translation ( ha ha ha ) . He's not the first to coin that gem even in these reviews , but what does it mean ? What it means is someone actually said something meaningful and you didn't understand it out of your own limitations ( i.e . not understanding the language ) . That's not something to boast about .
030 4 The reason I give this dvd 4 instead of 5 stars is that like many of the best movies , its not something I envision most people watching over and over again - like say a stupid comedy or a throwaway action flick . As a result I view this as a better rental ( say once every 3 years ) than a purchase . In any case though , its a great film . It captures the feeling of being out of place and living in a foreign country really perfectly . Any one who has ever done it knows that it can be a really traumatic experience . The isolation invariably leads to a lot of introspection and basically that is what this movie is about : introspection . The actors and director really capture the mood and pace of such an experience really well . The shots of Japan are memorable . Furthermore the extras in the dvd are also highly interesting to fans of the film - the documentary is not a piece of cable PR like is often the case and the discussions with bill murray , spike jones , sophia coppalla , et al are really insightful . If you havent seen the movie and think you can handle the slow unwinding pace this movie is a cant miss . . . Im just not SURE you really need to OWN it .
032 4 One reviewer said it well . Lost in Translation is a mirror for those who see it . When I see words such as ignorant , racist , boring bandied about here they seem to me to reflect directly on the reviewer . When I see others who view it with intelligence , subtlety , passion , and interest , they seem to convey the same properties . All of these are in the movie . And the look at people's foibles ( both American and Japanese ) is affectionate throughout .
The concept of favoritism towards the Coppola name is laughable . There's a reason why her father is concentrating on making wine and not getting the budget for movies . A LOT of people could get together a $4million budget to make a film like this . Whether they'd have the talent is another issue .
041 4 A quietly moving film . Slow burning , ambiguous romance , calls to mind In A Mood For Love , or perhaps music by Gloria Coates . There is no better way to do this film : the pace , the acting , and the morphing plotline are perfectly executed to capture the loss , the melancholy , and the bittersweetness of yearning for love . It is something you either see it or you do not . It'd be useless to try to convince people otherwise .
The DVD production . on the other hand , is quite disappointing . The forced preview pretty much ruined the DVD experience . Quality of the transfer is also mediocre . This movie deserves a much better , and careful DVD treatment .
059 4 The lowest common denominator of the collective American mind is pretty darn low , and unfortunately , movies are often made to appease this group - - those who want movies to massage and reassure their simple-minded , unrealistic value systems . Lost in Translation was not made to be a box office smash . It is a truly sensitive look at relationships , lonliness and culture . The cinematography is beautiful , the acting superb , and its themes are timeless without being trite . It also has some of the funniest moments that I've seen in a film in a long while . Unfortunately , some people missed all of this , and these people may describe the film as any of the following : boring , weird , stupid , immoral , pointless . They may be better off watching Dickie Roberts - - Child Star , Airbud , or Freddy vs . Jason .
062 4 I've just come back from watching Taking Lives , as awful a piece of Hollywood trash as it's been my misfortune to see in a long time .
Movies like that make you wonder why you ever liked movies in the first place .
Thankfully the memory of Lost in Translation is there to remind me that films can be illuminating and sensitive and contain real human beings that we might actually encounter .
I'm heartily weary of movies that have simple-minded bad guys and good guys , and murders , and no sense of believable characterisation for either . Lost in Translation is more like a superbly realised short story . Think of the stories of Richard Ford , Andre Dubus , and Graham Greene . The Dubus connection reminds me . If you liked In the Bedroom for its avoidance of movie cliches and its honest look at fallible characters in a sad situation you might well get a lot from Lost in Translation .
084 4 Before you can watch this DVD you must sit through 10 minutes of Universal Studios commercials . There is no way to bypass the commercials . Please help support the boycott of this highly unethical practice of forcing customers to watch commercials . You wouldn't stand for listening to commerical on a music CD would you ? Why stand for it on DVDs .
086 4 This movie moves like two travelogues , spliced together for the scenes where the two main characters are not together . It is not a plot driven film . There is nothing to get or to guess at . It's more of an observation , leaving conclusions to be made by any and all with a need to make them . It had the decency not to presume to try and convey a neat and tidy message or attempt to speak to universal truths , at least it didn't to me . If you are not one who believes that movies have to go somewhere , check this out . If you are someone who can sit and let exquisitely filmed imagery stir you in ways you don't feel a need ( or an ability ) to explain , who enjoys seeing quality actors put in interesting situations delivering terrific dialogue , and who won't sit simply waiting for something to happen , check this out . No car chases , no nudity , no ass-kicking , no saccharine ending . I'll probably give 5 stars after seeing it another time or two . Phenomenal soundtrack as well .
091 4 I keep reading that the Coppola name is all that got this movie made or praised or given awards .
If that's the case would anyone like to point out why Francis Ford Coppola himself hasn't been able to make a decent movie in 20 years or get a budget for anything that's not commercial , or win awards lately , or why One from the Heart was ripped to shreds by critics , or why he lost his studio ? Or why he's never made a movie as sensitive as this one ? Could they point out why even Spielberg's duds like Always or 1941 didn't get success just on the name ?
It takes more than a name . For a big movie , marketing will sell it because the studio won't dare to lose money and will pour the advertising bucks in . For a small movie , marketing can't do that . No studio's going to spend 40 million in marketing on a movie that only cost 4 .
That's how the biz works . Lost in Translation got made because it made sound commercial sense to make it as its current popularity and profitability show . Thank God that it also made superb artistic sense !
092 4 Some movies can withstand the expectations that come with great reviews . This one apparently cannot . It probably helps if you can relate to one of the two main characters . . . both physically and emotionally in a place they'd rather not be . If you can , you will likely enjoy this movie immensely . Probably even more if you've spent time in Japan . For myself this is easily one of the best movies I have ever seen .
098 4 I am not surprised by the extremely mixed reviews this movie has received . It is just the kind of movie people will either really love or hate . Will you love it ? If you have ever had that lonely feeling of observing people without connecting , especially with loved ones then you will probably relate to it and enjoy this movie . If you have ever had to spend any length of time in a culture very different from your own and not spoken the same language as those around you then you will also probably be able to appreciate the characters and humor . The humor in it is well used and prevents the movie and characters from taking themselves too seriously . If you are looking for Dumb Dumber / Scary Movie type funny don't bother . This is a more intellectual exercise .
103 4 OK , this is my second try . I think this is a lovely and delicate film that not everyone will love , but that only adolescents and boors could loathe with the kind of venom displayed in some of these reviews . This is not a terribly romantic film , nor is it particularly a comedy . It is bittersweet , the acting is superb , and the contrast between the human loneliness of the main characters and the congested , technocentric nightmare that is modern Tokyo works very well . The best advice I got about it was to watch it with as few expectations as possible . I did , and I loved it . It was kept showing at an auditorium here in Spokane long after the first run was over , and long after it was available on DVD and VHS , and people continued to pay $6 and $7 to see it . All of my friends and colleagues that have seen it have loved it .
109 4 I think this is a wonderful film . I just want to vent my spleen over its DVD printing . There is a five minute forced viewing preview on the disc . If you buy this movie , then every single time you want to watch it , you are forced to watch previews for three or four other films . During those five minutes , you may fast forward , but you can't skip track or go directly to menu .
Had I known this before I purchased this DVD , I would have left it in the store . I don't care for this trend in forced advertising . I already spent my $20 buying this DVD , I don't think I should be forced to watch a single minute of it .
122 4 1 . It's not a bad movie . If it were not for the hype , there maybe fewer people who hate it . Quite some people would find it interesting / different - a little off the Hollywood mainstream .
2 . Being different does not necessarily mean being great . . . We are all so often and so easily confused by the two , admitted or not .
3 . People get tired of Hollywood mainstream - the usually show-off stuff ( action , plot driven , nudity , dramatization , etc ) ; when we come across something that lack all of it , more or less nothingness . . . then we tend to believe there must be something special . . . We can believe or imagine somethingness from nothingness which dress itself in the artsy clothes at the most . . .
4 . It's nice to have family in show business . There are so many independent films there which are equally and fairly interesting , different , or maybe more so if given the similar resource as in this one . However , never has such an ordinary movie received such extraordinary acclaims
136 4 The first DVD I have purchased that requires the viewer to fast forward past commercials . Disgusting commercialism mars an otherwise nice , subtle movie .
most of those who caught it in a theater loved it , and a great many who've seen it first on DVD are angry with it .
Why ?
1 ) Well , the grouches are quite right - - it's not much of a comedy , there's very little story , and the characters aren't going through giant transformations across the course of the film . If you're sitting at home with your significant other or a bunch of friends , if you're talking , if the sound of crunching snacks in your head is louder than the soundtrack , if the lights are on or the phone rings , forget it , you're done - - it's like visiting a zen rock garden with a GameBoy , and your only shot at liking this film is personally relating to what the characters have experienced , or if you've been to Tokyo .
2 ) The rabid fans are quite right too - - LIT is an experience film that is mismarketed as a Bill Murray comedy ; it's all about sights and sounds , not story . It lets you know this from the very first shot , a long , wordless look at , um , Scarlett Johansson , with a quietly rising and subsiding sound clip from Kevin Shields , the songwriter of the greatest lost band of last twenty years , My Bloody Valentine ( if you don't know , YOU BETTER ASK SOMEBODY ) . There's every chance this bombs at home , but in a theater , in the dark , with great sound and everybody shutting up , it works .
That first shot sets the tone for LIT . There's not a single jump cut or sudden burst of sound in the entire film - - it's supposed to be a slow , alluring , engulfing experience ; again , this is terrific in a theater , but it's a fragile spell , and it's easy to see why it might not work at home .
3 ) The grouches are also right when they criticize the dialogue . In literal terms , not a lot is being said . If you don't attach to the characters at all , it isn't hard to start hating a young , pretty , apathetic whiner and a rich middle-aged whiner , both given the luxury of fretting full-time over existential problems , which , if you don't like the leads , seem pretty trivial . It's not hard to see why that doesn't make for a fun movie night .
4 ) The rabid fans can argue this one - - LIT is very much about what's NOT said .
Think about the most verbal characters in the film : they're babbling . The sweetly inattentive husband is wildly inarticulate - - he's perpetually distracted , and constantly interrupting his own train of thought . The starlet ( a snarky sendup of Cameron Diaz ) grows more vapid by the sentence . Bill Murray's wife is nothing but a telephone voice , transfixed by carpet swatches and bored by everything else . And from the dead-serious commercial director to the ebulliently idiotic talk show host , there's no clear translation of the spoken Japanese . For God's sake , when she over-emotes her way through Scarborough Fair , the lounge singer is a self-parody , unintentionally echoing Bill Murray's famous SNL parody of a lounge singer pouring out Scarborough Fair . Every one of them is lost in translation .
In a different way , so are Bob and Charlotte . The reason LIT doesn't have a story is that the entire film is an interlude - - two people who suddenly find themselves together , sharing a break from their lives .
And they both seem to really need it - - they're sick of the meaningless conversations and logistics that drive their worlds . It's a classic use of the medium , to show the huge gap between what's said and what's seen . Bob and Charlotte are wonderfully quiet and accepting of each other from the get go - - they don't have talk much to connect . If you watch for it , there's a silent shift in the film : before she meets Bob , Charlotte is rattled by how numb she feels when she visits a temple and retreats to her hotel room , surrounding herself with junk media . Before Bob meets Charlotte , he sleepwalks through his workday , producing junk media . After they meet , when they spend time on their own , they wander wordlessly and beautifully alone : Bob golfs by himself with Mt . Fuji in the distance , and Mt . Fuji floats by Charlotte on a Kyoto bullet train , as she heads off to visit another temple . They're discovering a less bewildering , more personal Japan , and retrieving themselves as they do it . And all this is shown , not spoken .
5 ) The grouches have a point : nothing freaking happens in LIT .
6 ) The fans answer : yeah , exactly . The key to the film is what doesn't happen between the characters . It's no accident that LIT takes place in bustling , frenetic Tokyo , or that the main characters are hopelessly jetlagged and out of sync with everything except each other . If that doesn't sink in early , then you'll miss the many charms of LIT , from the long , lovely shots , the sweet , spare exchanges between Bob and Charlotte , the gorgeously slow shoegazer / trip-hop / dream pop soundtrack ( the best since Trainspotting , High Art , and Ms . Coppola's last film , the Virgin Suicides ) , and the electrifyingly silent ending .
So , sorry if you hated this film . Have a drink , maybe two , turn the off lights , don't talk , watch it again , and you might change your mind .
( Oh , and if you take into account EVERY image of Japanese people in this film - - the businesspmen and women , the artists , the florists , the crowds in the street , the surfers , the strippers , the monks , the bride and groom , the elderly patient , the doctor , etc . - - it's harder to argue that LIT is an anti-Japanese film , and easier to see it for what it is : an outsider's POV of a few silly and sublime experiences in an unfamiliar culture ) .
001 4 This movie is slow paced . However I didn't find it boring at all . I loved the scenery and the small glimpses into everyday Japanese life , all meshed together with this love story of two people brought together by loneliness and uncertainty , with a musical soundtrack that brings out the best in all of it .
After watching this film , the first thing that sprang to my mind was that I'm so glad I don't rely on Amazon reviewers to make a decision about whether I am going to see a film or not . That's almost as dumb as asking a fifteen year old to sit through it and not go crazy or pass out . This film is too mature , dealing with grown-up questions , situations and problems that the kiddies here have yet to grasp .
Bill Murray's character is going through a midlife crisis ; Scarlet Johansen's is tormented that she cannot seem to discover her purpose in life . Both are trapped in a place where they know no one , and understand nothing . They gravitate to one another and fall into a kind of love that is very unique , but also not at all uncommon under the circumstances . They don't pursue it physically , because they live in a real world with real consequences and have to respect the promises they made to people they both still love .
No kid fresh out of tenth grade will ever be able to comprehend these emotions . . . no wonder most of these reviews are from people who were bored stiff . No sex ? No violence ? This movie SUCKS , seems to be the way it works with these Amazon reviews .
Too bad . Maybe when they all grow up they'll get it . I recommend this movie to grown ups who like minimalist dramas and romantic comedies . If you're expecting a samurai to jump out with a sword , pass this movie up . This film is about human emotions .
002 4 I saw Translation for the first time and liked it , but didn't really know what they saw in the movie that was so beyond-belief spectacular . But alas , I believe that every movie deserves a second chance , so recently I sat down and experienced director Sophia Coppola's Lost In Translation again .
Lost in Translation tells the story of Bob Harris ( Bill Murray in a role tailor-made , if not even Heaven-sent for him ) , an American movie star that comes to Tokyo to film a whiskey commerical for which he will be paid 2 million bucks . Staying in the same Tokyo hotel is Charlotte ( Scarlett Johanssen , radiant and mature at only 18 ) , a newlywed tagging along with her rock photographer husband , John ( a typically awkward Giovanni Ribisi ) . Along the way , Charlotte and Bob run into each other and begin a ' brief encounter ' that profoundly affects them both .
When the movie hits you right , it's a pure pleasure from its unassuming start ( a beautifully lit shot up Johanssen's underwear-clothed behind ) to its ambiguous but meaningful ending . It begins as a comedy of culture clash , Harris sarcastic and confused at the Japanese when entering his hotel , and even more befuddled in a hilarious scene where he shoots the whiskey commercial . Coppola delivers Bob into her movie with the impression that it'll be all about him , but Charlotte enters the story , and we're never quite the same . Scarlett Johanssen plays Charlotte with just the right amount of emotion that her initially morose and soul-searching character doesn't seem silly . At one point , she tearfully admits over the phone , I don't know who I married . Bob , on the other hand , seems to have it made , but Murray lets a current of loneliness run across that memorable face . He gets comical faxes from his wife about bookshelves and carpet samples , but he gives off the impression that he's come to the point where he doesn't even care anymore . Bob is certainly alone for a time in Tokyo , but Murray alludes that things at home aren't too hot either .
For the first third of the movie , director Coppola displays her first brave choice in filmmaking by keeping Bob and Charlotte apart . Upon my first viewing of Translation , I wasn't convinced of Coppola's choice to keep the movie so predominantly low-key , but I've realized that there's a reason for it . The movie sustains this amazing vibe that doesn't stunt its progress , but propels it with a driving fluidity . A few times , though , Bob and Charlotte do see each other without officially meeting . One time in particular occurs in a crowded elevator - the two glance at each other , faintly smile , and possibility is born . The first section of the film doesn't just serve to show its two characters completely apart - it makes you think of how many life-changing connections you've missed in the past by just being passive and solitary .
The two meet and begin voyages out into the hustle and bustle of Tokyo , and the film takes on a perspective that differs from its earlier view . Before , we saw Bob Harris and Charlotte , respectively , at their most private and vulnerable . While out on the town , the film seems to sit back and just let them have fun . Thank God , for Bill Murray's rousing rendition of Elvis Costello's ( What's So Funny ' Bout ) Peace , Love , and Understanding is a blast . During this time , it seems that Bob and Charlotte have forgotten their insomnia and loneliness , but it's not gone forever . Even during their night on the town , we see moments where they sit silently , pensive and confused . The movie is a comedy in some sense , but it escalates into a pervading tragic feel . At one point , Charlotte says to Bob : Let's never come back here again , because it will never be as much fun . They had fun , but only in the sense of putting off more loneliness .
It takes a while , but the motivations of each character become fully-realized in a marvelous scene where Bob and Charlottelay fully-clothed in bed together . Here , they handle the ' big ' questions in life , and not Where did you go to college ? or What did you want to be when you were little ? but What is my purpose ? and Does marraige get easier ? I was amazed at the honesty of the character's responses . Bob relates to Charlotte the experience of having children and the ongoing struggles of marraige , but a tinge of fear and apprehension runs through his speech . Charlotte hasn't really figured things out for herself yet - she says she's tried just about everything but hasn't found that niche . Coppola's screenplay makes the statement that both are in the same exact emotional limbo . Charlotte is confused and worried , but Bob is regretful and washed-up . In a way , these two are some form of deeply odd soul-mates . That is the heart and soul of Coppola's amazing work .
Translation has great comedic flair with Murray's wonderful work , but it's also perhaps one of the saddest and most moving films I've seen in a long time . It's some form of a romance , too , but it's not about when they'll kiss or when they'll hit the sheets . It also has that Affair to Remember vibe too , where the journey of two souls that find comfort will eventually have to come to an end . Its end , though , defies classification , as does the rest of the film . Coppola simply lets her two amazing leads do the work . When the film does arrive at its final , ambiguous moment , it all just seems perfect . The catchy Japan-pop soundtrack that runs brilliantly throughout the film begins to play , and I find myself with a huge regret : that I won't be able to savor the subtle chemistry of Bob and Charlotte , and that a flat-out masterpiece in American film is at its end .
004 4 It's interesting to see one of the negative reviews that says go look at people in a bar because if you enjoy looking at people in bars you might enjoy this movie . He's right . This movie IS for people who like looking at the human beings around them .
It's for people who like human beings in general . And not for people who are uninterested in people but need something to explode to grab their attention .
Personally I enjoy movies about real people . I enjoy movies where I can see individuals who I might actually meet and care about . I thought this one was very good .
Perhaps much of the bad comment comes because some have been suckered into seeing a movie that's just not their cup of Java . More fool them . There are a lot of gentle , subtle , sensitive films like this that are loved by people who do not love standard lowbrow movies . Most of them come from Europe or Japan . Their usual audiences would not write such stupid comments . ( Notice the general level of writing in most of the one star reviews ? )
One thing I am happy about with the success of this film is it sends a message to Hollywood producers who like to feed us cr * p like Bad Boys II - maybe one of the worst movies ever made .
And that message is : Hollywood we are not ALL stupid . There are not enough movies like this . Give us more .
005 4 .
One of the most interesting aspects of LIT is the market's reaction to it : most of those who caught it in a theater loved it , and a great many who've seen it first on DVD are angry with it .
Why ?
1 ) Well , the grouches are quite right - - it's not much of a comedy , there's very little story , and the characters aren't going through giant transformations across the course of the film . If you're sitting at home with your significant other or a bunch of friends , if you're talking , if the sound of crunching snacks in your head is louder than the soundtrack , if the lights are on or the phone rings , forget it , you're done - - it's like visiting a zen rock garden with a GameBoy , and your only shot at liking this film is personally relating to what the characters have experienced , or if you've been to Tokyo .
2 ) The rabid fans are quite right too - - LIT is an experience film that is mismarketed as a Bill Murray comedy ; it's all about sights and sounds , not story . It lets you know this from the very first shot , a long , wordless look at , um , Scarlett Johansson , with a quietly rising and subsiding sound clip from Kevin Shields , the songwriter of the greatest lost band of last twenty years , My Bloody Valentine ( if you don't know , YOU BETTER ASK SOMEBODY ) . There's every chance this bombs at home , but in a theater , in the dark , with great sound and everybody shutting up , it works .
That first shot sets the tone for LIT . There's not a single jump cut or sudden burst of sound in the entire film - - it's supposed to be a slow , alluring , engulfing experience ; again , this is terrific in a theater , but it's a fragile spell , and it's easy to see why it might not work at home .
3 ) The grouches are also right when they criticize the dialogue . In literal terms , not a lot is being said . If you don't attach to the characters at all , it isn't hard to start hating a young , pretty , apathetic whiner and a rich middle-aged whiner , both given the luxury of fretting full-time over existential problems , which , if you don't like the leads , seem pretty trivial . It's not hard to see why that doesn't make for a fun movie night .
4 ) The rabid fans can argue this one - - LIT is very much about what's NOT said .
Think about the most verbal characters in the film : they're babbling . The sweetly inattentive husband is wildly inarticulate - - he's perpetually distracted , and constantly interrupting his own train of thought . The starlet ( a snarky sendup of Cameron Diaz ) grows more vapid by the sentence . Bill Murray's wife is nothing but a telephone voice , transfixed by carpet swatches and bored by everything else . And from the dead-serious commercial director to the ebulliently idiotic talk show host , there's no clear translation of the spoken Japanese . For God's sake , when she over-emotes her way through Scarborough Fair , the lounge singer is a self-parody , unintentionally echoing Bill Murray's famous SNL parody of a lounge singer pouring out Scarborough Fair . Every one of them is lost in translation .
In a different way , so are Bob and Charlotte . The reason LIT doesn't have a story is that the entire film is an interlude - - two people who suddenly find themselves together , sharing a break from their lives .
And they both seem to really need it - - they're sick of the meaningless conversations and logistics that drive their worlds . It's a classic use of the medium , to show the huge gap between what's said and what's seen . Bob and Charlotte are wonderfully quiet and accepting of each other from the get go - - they don't have talk much to connect . If you watch for it , there's a silent shift in the film : before she meets Bob , Charlotte is rattled by how numb she feels when she visits a temple and retreats to her hotel room , surrounding herself with junk media . Before Bob meets Charlotte , he sleepwalks through his workday , producing junk media . After they meet , when they spend time on their own , they wander wordlessly and beautifully alone : Bob golfs by himself with Mt . Fuji in the distance , and Mt . Fuji floats by Charlotte on a Kyoto bullet train , as she heads off to visit another temple . They're discovering a less bewildering , more personal Japan , and retrieving themselves as they do it . And all this is shown , not spoken .
5 ) The grouches have a point : nothing freaking happens in LIT .
6 ) The fans answer : yeah , exactly . The key to the film is what doesn't happen between the characters . It's no accident that LIT takes place in bustling , frenetic Tokyo , or that the main characters are hopelessly jetlagged and out of sync with everything except each other . If that doesn't sink in early , then you'll miss the many charms of LIT , from the long , lovely shots , the sweet , spare exchanges between Bob and Charlotte , the gorgeously slow shoegazer / trip-hop / dream pop soundtrack ( the best since Trainspotting , High Art , and Ms . Coppola's last film , the Virgin Suicides ) , and the electrifyingly silent ending .
So , sorry if you hated this film . Have a drink , maybe two , turn the off lights , don't talk , watch it again , and you might change your mind .
( Oh , and if you take into account EVERY image of Japanese people in this film - - the businesspmen and women , the artists , the florists , the crowds in the street , the surfers , the strippers , the monks , the bride and groom , the elderly patient , the doctor , etc . - - it's harder to argue that LIT is an anti-Japanese film , and easier to see it for what it is : an outsider's POV of a few silly and sublime experiences in an unfamiliar culture ) .
006 4 Well , I'm not going to reiterate what this film is about . But I will defend this film to those who gave it VERY low ratings .
Miss Coppola made a film that serves as an homage to the high Neorealism films of Italy . Lost in Translation evokes emotions without forcing tears , anger , happiness , etc . Minimalist in nature , yet rich in content .
Modern audiences are too used to movies that tell us when to cry or when to be happy . Coppola trusts the audience . This film teaches audiences how to truly watch a film . In my opinion , I think it's cheap to zoom in on a tear to cue the audience to feel sad with the actor . It's more difficult for a director to let a camera sit and watch a character , examine them , and just by subtle gestures , we begin to realize the depth of that character .
Ever looked out the window on a bus stop ? People sit and wait , and just by looking at them , we know exactly what they're feeling .
The only thing I had a problem with was the use of Anna Faris . Though humorous , I felt she could have played a character who really acted like a serious actress . I felt she knew she was playing a bimbo and made sure the camera captured it . I thought it would have been more effective had she believed she really was a real actress .
Nevertheless , this film will remain timeless . It's a proud film to follow Scarlett Johanssen for the rest of her career , a great performance that Bill Murray will be remembered for , and an extraordinary feat by Sofia Coppola .
This film could have been formulaic : young girl meets older gent . Fall into a mad affair , beautiful love scenes , and a dreamy goodbye . But no . Coppola doesn't want to cheat the audience . Lost in Translation is an experience . It's quiet sadness , quiet love , and quiet goodbyes ; a demonstration of a real love story .
007 4 . . . . I have . We lived there from 2000 - 2003 , and the first few months were very lonely for me due to the extreme differences in the culture . To make a very long story short , our time near Tokyo has changed us forever , and we love Japan as a second home . The friends we have there are very dear to us . There is a brilliance in this movie that we don't see very often . The scene where the whiskey commercial is filmed made us laugh . The Japanese man talks for several minutes , and the translator comes back with just a few words ; it's like that ! The English translation is usually shorter . We saw things in that movie that made us miss Japan every time we see the movie . For those who watch the movie and have any sense of cultural appreciation and sentimentality , pay attention to the scences when Charlotte talks to her friend stateside ( who sounds shallow ) about her first trip to the shrine , or how she willingly accepts her first ikebana lesson . To see the Americans slow down and consider another country's traditions and cultural expressions as options to their own is a mature attitude , and I guess it takes a mature attitude to watch this movie and get it . See it for yourselves , and I hope you get to experience Japan some day . . . .
p.s . My ONLY negative comment is about a club scene that made the movie have an R rating . Other than that almost-nude scene that was out of place in this movie , it could've been a PG - 13 . It's probably pretty realistic about some of the clubs in Tokyo , but it could've been left out of a movie . My 2 cents .
008 4 Lost in Translation joins the rank of surreal films that depict life and emotions with such understated fluidity that they fall short of satiating typical Hollywoodesque tastes . About Schmidt was one . Coen brothers ' The Man Who Wasn't There was another .
There is little I can add to all the other reviews already here , but I'll focus on addressing the various misconceptions that all the encomium surrounding this minimalistic gem from Sophia Coppola ( with the usual baggage of expectations ) has given rise to :
( 1 ) SHOWS JAPAN IN A POOR LIGHT , OR POKES FUN AT THE CULTURE
No it doesn't . That sounds like a boorish remark from people who stopped by Tokyo for a couple of days , had Ramen at Ginza and Toro at Shimbashi , sipped a double Latte at Shibuya's Starbucks , and assumed that they had discovered Japanese culture . I still have to see a more accurate rendition of Tokyo's true day-to-day existence than this movie , apart from Tom Selleck's Baseball a few years back . Yes , the real Tokyo does have mispronounciations of words like Flight ( as in , Have a good fright . ) Yes , real translators shorten a good deal of Japanese when interpreting as long as the message is communicated . Most of my Japanese friends would simply laugh along when told of such common trivia . This movie is as much a caricature of Japanese culture as Patton or Sex and the City are of American culture . ( P.S . Murray's character also has a pretty funny remark in the film in answer to the question , Why do Japanese interchange their Rs and Ls ? ) . The film is mis-sold as being a movie about Japan , the cultural takes are comic garnish , not elemental to the romantic plot .
( 2 ) IT IS A MEANINGLESS DRAWL , PACED VERY SLOW
Sure , if you have the attention span of a rodent in a cheese store . I found the flow of the movie very pleasing , but then I am guilty of enjoying the likes of About Schmidt as well . It's a simple , beautiful , efficient story that is completely and utterly engrossing , with economy of cinematography . It is also just a shade over 90 minutes long , making it quite short in comparison to typical movies of today . But in that short span of time , you experience a dampening feeling of entrapment , a sense of longing ( and belonging ) , you are privy to the story of two people who are lost spiritually , emotionally , and physically .
( 3 ) TRIES TO BE ARTSY AND FAILS
Was it artsy ? I am not sure . I surely did not feel that it was pretentious . Why can film not mirror our lives and experiences without shocking or over-embelishing , and still be looked at as a remarkable and moving artform ? There is a lot in the movie that perhaps may not hit a nerve with people who expect to be hit on the head with meaning . For instance , there is an overhead shot when the two protagonists were in one of their hotel rooms , in bed talking , fully clothed , he is on his back staring at the ceiling , she is on her side , eyes probably closed , the tips of her feet barely touching the side of his leg , and he moves his hand and puts it on her feet . Then the scene fades to black . It is the kind of tender , non-sexual touch that tells us how close they have become , and that theirs is a relationship of mutual trust and admiration , not one necessarily of lust . I guess this is not for everyone to appreciate .
( 4 ) NOT THE USUAL FUNNY CAMEO FROM BILL MURRAY
Negative . I found Bill Murray to be extremely hilarious in this movie , and while this may sound arrogant , he is funny in a mature sort of a way . Like a man who doesn't have to try too hard . In fact , one thing that hits you about Coppola's direction is the honesty in the story telling . You will feel the utter frustration that Murray's character must have felt trying to make sense of a photographer giving directions with pidgin English , for instance .
( 5 ) IT'S NOT ABOUT ROMANCE
Perhaps Titanic was then . The chemistry between the two lead characters in Lost in Translation is very moving , I'd even say it is one of the most wistful , effortless and understanding romances I have seen in a long time in film , the variety only the ilk of Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thomson could evoke in an Merchant Ivory production . The very fact that these two characters find themselves groping in the middle of an alien culture brings them together and brings to the surface their similarities - - not only as people , but their similar station in life .
( 6 ) THERE'S NO PLOT !
Right , there isn't . That's the point . I could sit here for an hour and enlist stunning movies that did not pander to an audience that necessarily needs a plot . It's about a life-changing week in the lives of two people , simple as that . This may or may not work for you .
( 7 ) IT'S ALL ABOUT COPPOLA / FEMALE DIRECTOR / ETC .
This one is the most inane . Let's talk of the film on its merit , leaving all the heritage behind . I didn't care much about The Virgin Suicides , but I have now come to admire Sophia's talents at synthesizing visual , spatial , and sonic impressions . Oodles for film students to learn from !
I adore this glorious masterpiece , and highly recommend it - -
( 1 ) If you're not expecting a pedestrian American Pie style comedy with situational goofs and gaffes
( 2 ) If you enjoy a fluid screenplay , like About Schmidt or Royal Tenenbaums
( 3 ) If you want to know the day to day life in Japan , not cultural stereotypes strewn about by populist productions like The Last Samurai
( 4 ) If you relish unspoken romances like Remains of the Day , A Room with a View , One True Thing , The Road Home
( 5 ) If you , like me , understand why the title is so wickedly clever . It's not just the meaning of language that is lost in translation . It is a simple , pithy statement that beautifully captures the essence of everything that we struggle to find
This DVD belongs in any self-respecting library .
009 4 I agree to the earlier reviewer who asked what so many low marks for Lost in Translation says about the current state of US society . When I look at Amazon web sites elsewhere in the world I find it very much appreciated , as - I think - it deserves to be . It seems only in America that people are so intolerant of something that is not to their taste , even though it is so meaningful to the others .
I see people using words like art , subtlety , vision , and slowness like they are dirty words . This is a movie for people who do not find them dirty words .
To me , Dinner With Andre was more exciting than many movies about car crashes , because it was about exciting ideas . Lost in Translation is more exciting because it is about exciting emotions . Love . Friendship . Loss .
It is important to know that Lost in Translation is not so much a comedy . Like life , it is funny at times , poignant at others . The scriptwriting is excellent . It is an art to know when not to make people talk and let them tell the story with their face .
This isn't an expensive film . It is a small film that - if you love it - speaks to you very honestly and openly . It's not about production values . It is about people .
Sometimes in a desert you come upon an oasis , where you are refreshed and find exactly what you need . Lost in Translation is such an oasis from a film industry that is often more like the sand .
010 4 The first image in writer-director Sofia's Coppola's Lost in Translation gets your attention - - Charlotte's behind in her underwear as she lies in bed . Charlotte , barely out of her teens , is in her underwear most of the time she spends in the Tokyo hotel room where she waits for her photographer husband to notice her .
You soon see that Charlotte's equally young husband is an idiot ( insipid conversation about rock musicians , gullibility when a Sarah Michelle Gellar clone tells how her father fought on the American side at the Bay of Pigs and came back an anorexic ) . While philosophy grad Charlotte is brighter than her husband , she shares one thing with him - - she's no more emotionally mature than he is .
In one scene Charlotte and her husband ( writing this , I can't remember his name ) are in their hotel room . He's sitting on the floor , surrounded by cameras and expensive photo equipment ( his toys ) while Charlotte wiggles past him in her underwear , throwing a scarf she's been knitting around her neck , playing dress-up . Do you think this is done ? she asks him . He doesn't know .
Lost in Translation is the story of Charlotte waiting to grow up , and finding someone to wait with her .
Bob is an American movie star doing an ad campaign for Suntory whiskey in Tokyo . His marriage is rocky , but he doesn't want it to end . Bob and Charlotte meet . They each recognize a soul mate . But they also know from the beginning that it can't last . Neither one wants to take advantage of the other .
The comedy in the film comes from Bob's interaction with Japanese culture ( sometimes verging on cliché ) . The drama comes from Charlotte and Bob's desire for each other , along with the knowledge that , regardless of what happens in their marriages , they're not the ones for each other .
Bill Murray as Bob deserves the Oscar for showing all this with his weary face . Scarlett Johansson as Charlotte displays not just grown-up emotions , but the act of growing up as we watch .
Tokyo , filmed mostly at night , seems like most big cities to be itself more than part of the country it belongs to . We see the contrast when Charlotte comes across a traditional Japanese wedding outside the city , though you wonder if there's a reality for the Japanese somewhere between hypermodern Tokyo and re-creations of ancient religious ceremonies .
Charlotte and Bob spend their nights together , fighting insomnia , running from one club or party to another . The Japanese they talk to are mostly young , struggling to be understood in basic English and even French , in contrast with businessmen Bob overhears in the hotel sauna comfortably speaking German between themselves , but not experiencing anything of Tokyo . ( I think they were complaining there was no German food . ) The music is American and British . Karaoke is everywhere - - even the American lounge singer in the hotel is more of a karaoke singer than a New York chanteuse .
When they have to leave each other , Bob goes home to his family , while Charlotte walks into the Tokyo crowds , alone but confident . It's finally daytime .
011 4 It's ironic to see one reviewer criticising Lost in Translation for cultural insensitivity and then saying it presents such a cliched view of Japanese he expected Bruce Lee to show up . Is it too cruel to point out that Bruce Lee was not Japanese , but is actually a Chinese from my home town of Hong Kong ? Asians really don't all look the same you know .
I've seen comparisons with Wong Kar-wai , and I think that they have some merit . Wong is above all a romantic . So is Sofia Coppola . Wong is a director who focuses on the spirit of place . So does Sofia Coppola . Of course they are different in other ways . Coppola is less self-consciously cool than Wong for one thing . Anyhow , it's a mistake to expect director A to be a dead ringer for director B , and as regards relative merit , Oscars aside it's not a horse race . ( I do think her screenplay award was well deserved though ) .
What I like most about Lost in Translation is the love in it . Not only the love between the characters , but the love the writer / director has for her characters , and - yes - for Tokyo . Like all film makers she chooses what to show us to point up the mood of her characters . And she shows us the dissonances between them and the city . I fail to see why some people find the film negative about Japanese . Mostly these are good hearted people having a good time . They are just of a different culture . And yes , some Japanese do enjoy singing Sex Pistols songs in karaoke bars . ( Here in HK we might prefer Celine Dion ) .
Personally I don't have much use for the concept of the masterpiece , whether in movies , books , or music . Unless you're talking Shakespeare or Bach or Tolstoy , it's all a bit fan-boy and practically never applies to Hollywood . But there are excellent , good , bad and indifferent films . For me Lost in Translation belongs among the excellent . Murray and Johansson give the performances of their lives , and I must say that like many others I loved the very scenes - including the bed scene - that some question . If only there were more films like this , going to the movies would not be such a chore .
012 4 Unlike some here I'm not surprised that a lot of people don't like this movie . Sofia Coppola puts a challenge in front of us from the very first frame . The shot of Scarlett Johansson's behind encourages you to see her sexually . The rest of the film is about a relationship that's more mature than the feelings that shot awoke in you ( particularly for those members of the audience who are annoyed they didn't make out ) . So many images in the film work like this . They have a meaning that goes beyond their immediate impression .
Then , as some have noticed , there's Bob's crooning of More than this , you know there's nothing . At first it just seems like a jokey karaoke moment , but it is the thought in his head . The more times you watch Lost in Translation the more such moments you will see .
If you look at Coppola's treatment of the actress in the movie . who - like Keanu Reeves - is entirely insincere about the culture and who thinks she knows kung fu after a most superficial acquantaince , you can see that Coppola is at war with much of the mindless drivel that we get fed by Hollywood . There's a sensibility at work here that is standing against mainstream entertainment .
Does that mean this is a manifesto movie ? No . But it does mean that it manifests a sensibility you rarely see on the screen . I don't even think of it as an art movie . Just another take on life , of the kind we might see from Louis Malle , or Claude Sautet , or Wim Wenders . It is a sensibility to be cherished by all true movie lovers .
Given that Ms . Coppola is set against mainstream commercial superficiality it is not surprising that those who like more mainstream fare hate her film . They should . She is criticising ( albeit gently ) their mentality . Even if you don't see this consciously , it seeps through .
The division between those who love it and those who hate it is sharp .
One of the best of 2003 . If it speaks to you , and it won't speak to everyone , at least not in a way they'll like , it speaks to you strongly .
Ms . Coppola . More please . And kudos to whoever put up the money for this one . You should have done well out of it , and you deserve to .
013 4 This review is from :
Lost in Translation ( DVD )
Reading all these harsh reviews , I found that this film is a mirror for people and their ignorance , or intelligence .
a ) How is this a movie without a plot ? ? Thats just INSANE ! Two people are separated from normal life . Two people are cloistered and alone , even in their relationships with spouses . The two people slowly meet , again and again . Two people begin to share their lonely lives together . Two people grow fond . two people love , but don't take advantage . Two people seperate , having shared humor , love , regret , lonliness , Tokyo without having fully communicating their love . They meet one last time and open up to each other . Thats not a PLOT ? ?
b ) This film seems to give everyone some dumb view point to bash someone in their lives , basically displaying they , the reviewers , are petty , gross , evil people at heart . How is this a movie that gives rise to the ability to bash artsy people , Americans , Japanese , President Bush or anyone ? Are you people insane ? ? The people who like this movie LIKED it , it wasn't a LIFESTYLE choice . It was something that appealed . As for the German guy bashing Americans , thats just rude and dumb . I come from German parents and I understand how sick some German thinking is , but good lord , keep it to your own ignorant self . This is a film that could be about anyone anywhere .
c ) Rascist ? How is this film rascist ? RACIAL maybe . . . . but more culturally skewed and playful then RASCIST . Are the Japanese even a race ? Whats is this about ? They had fun with cultural differences . I didn't see ' wing wong , slanty eyes ! ' jokes , or even worse ' Me Japranese ! Me brohm Peraw Hawboaawwww ' . . . . come on tendloins , get a life .
d ) Not funny ? Sure , this film isn't what you call a pure American cinema COMEDY , but there is so much light humor going on with the characters and situations that it does have a lot of humor within this well rounded film . It is a drama , romance , comedy film , but its just a really good film . People must go to this film expecting ' HEY ! WATCH ME PULL A GOPHER OUTTA MY HOLE ! ' , Bill Murray slamming his genitals in doors , Asian sex jokes , people pratfalling on asian pears , wild eyed goofy takes at the camera , silly outfits , and the obligatory nude scene with the 16 year old being discovered by his parents and hiding his manhood in a pie . This just isn't that . How can you even expect that seeing any of the previews ? ? People are so ignorant . Look at the poster , look at the cover , look at the previews ! Where is this a ' genitals in pie ' story ? ?
e ) ' Emperor's New Clothes ' ? ? The only person standing out here is the reviewer , showing off as a brazen dunce . While , I expect , people wanted missiles whizzing around , car chases with funny faces and one liners right out of Nickelodeon cartoons , maybe some evil boss Murray and Johannsen must fight to prove their love , this just ISN'T that . Some of my favorite movies of all time are ' Casablanca ' , ' Evil Dead 2 ' , ' M ' and ' Death Wish 3 ' . . . I can enjoy anything well done in any genre by anyone and I understand most people can't . But to give this film 1 star ? ? ? What is wrong with you . It is beautifully filmed , has some really excellent sequences , makes sense , has a plot , combines a lot of dramatic and humorous elements in writing . People don't even rate some of the all time HORRIBLE movies that were filmed on 16 mm with total lack of story at 1 star . . . . .
What this film really shows is how ridiculous 95 percent of the reviewers are . Naturally , I am not one of them .
014 4 Reading all these harsh reviews , I found that this film is a mirror for people and their ignorance , or intelligence .
a ) How is this a movie without a plot ? ? Thats just INSANE ! Two people are separated from normal life . Two people are cloistered and alone , even in their relationships with spouses . The two people slowly meet , again and again . Two people begin to share their lonely lives together . Two people grow fond . two people love , but don't take advantage . Two people seperate , having shared humor , love , regret , lonliness , Tokyo without having fully communicating their love . They meet one last time and open up to each other . Thats not a PLOT ? ?
b ) This film seems to give everyone some dumb view point to bash someone in their lives , basically displaying they , the reviewers , are petty , gross , evil people at heart . How is this a movie that gives rise to the ability to bash artsy people , Americans , Japanese , President Bush or anyone ? Are you people insane ? ? The people who like this movie LIKED it , it wasn't a LIFESTYLE choice . It was something that appealed . As for the German guy bashing Americans , thats just rude and dumb . I come from German parents and I understand how sick some German thinking is , but good lord , keep it to your own ignorant self . This is a film that could be about anyone anywhere .
c ) Rascist ? How is this film rascist ? RACIAL maybe . . . . but more culturally skewed and playful then RASCIST . Are the Japanese even a race ? Whats is this about ? They had fun with cultural differences . I didn't see ' wing wong , slanty eyes ! ' jokes , or even worse ' Me Japranese ! Me brohm Peraw Hawboaawwww ' . . . . come on tendloins , get a life .
d ) Not funny ? Sure , this film isn't what you call a pure American cinema COMEDY , but there is so much light humor going on with the characters and situations that it does have a lot of humor within this well rounded film . It is a drama , romance , comedy film , but its just a really good film . People must go to this film expecting ' HEY ! WATCH ME PULL A GOPHER OUTTA MY HOLE ! ' , Bill Murray slamming his genitals in doors , Asian sex jokes , people pratfalling on asian pears , wild eyed goofy takes at the camera , silly outfits , and the obligatory nude scene with the 16 year old being discovered by his parents and hiding his manhood in a pie . This just isn't that . How can you even expect that seeing any of the previews ? ? People are so ignorant . Look at the poster , look at the cover , look at the previews ! Where is this a ' genitals in pie ' story ? ?
e ) ' Emperor's New Clothes ' ? ? The only person standing out here is the reviewer , showing off as a brazen dunce . While , I expect , people wanted missiles whizzing around , car chases with funny faces and one liners right out of Nickelodeon cartoons , maybe some evil boss Murray and Johannsen must fight to prove their love , this just ISN'T that . Some of my favorite movies of all time are ' Casablanca ' , ' Evil Dead 2 ' , ' M ' and ' Death Wish 3 ' . . . I can enjoy anything well done in any genre by anyone and I understand most people can't . But to give this film 1 star ? ? ? What is wrong with you . It is beautifully filmed , has some really excellent sequences , makes sense , has a plot , combines a lot of dramatic and humorous elements in writing . People don't even rate some of the all time HORRIBLE movies that were filmed on 16 mm with total lack of story at 1 star . . . . .
What this film really shows is how ridiculous 95 percent of the reviewers are . Naturally , I am not one of them .
015 4 Just an observation :
ENTHUSIASM DOES NOT BECOME HYPE SIMPLY BECAUSE YOU DO NOT SHARE IT .
I might not want to bungee jump , but those who praise it having tried it are not hyping it .
They are just showing how much they love it .
What Lost in Translation has received from critics and fans is not hype but praise . And the praise is deserved , no matter how many weird conspiracy-theories people have to make up to justify their own lack of awareness or response .
Sometimes when a film confuses some members of the audience , it's because the director has failed to get a point or a mood across . But Sofia Coppola obviously reached enough people - who have then become wildly enthusiastic ( no need to bend over backwards to show that the failure is not hers .
I asked myself what she could have done to satisfy those who found it boring . All she could have done was make an entirely different movie . And nothing can make you like a movie that just is not YOUR kind of movie .
There are a lot of films like this . Sometimes you don't like them because their politics aren't yours ( I'd even bet right-wingers hate this movie more than left-wingers incidentally , because it blurs lines it discomforts them to see blurred . )
Sometimes you don't like them because their worldview is inimical to yours , ( like all those movies that let the hero ride roughshod over legal process because the laws let crooks get away ) . I don't think very many big fans of the Lethal Weapon tripe will like Lost in Translation .
Coppola , Murray , Johansson , Accord , Ribisi , Farris , and the excellent Japanese cast made their movie well . As for those who don't go for it , well maybe the fault lies not in the stars ( or director ) but in your selves .
017 4 Here's what puzzles me . As a film marketer , I know that after the first week what sells a movie is word of mouth .
Lost in Translation has played in some towns here and abroad for weeks , in some cases months . I wish I'd been involved in pushing it . Here's the fact : if a movie has a lot of hype and then doesn't live up to it the marketing pattern is that it drops off very fast after the first few days as everyone tells their friends it sucks .
That's why we open some expensive movies we have doubts about ( Stargate for example ) in as many theaters as possible ( sometimes without even letting critics see them first ) . Then a lot of people will have seen them by the time everyone gets the bad news .
You can't keep the momentum on a bad movie going . It is just impossible . In the end , friend telling friend is what sells it . Or what kills it . But then I look at the reviews here and see so much supposedly bad word of mouth . I have to tell you as a marketer that it must be far outweighed by the good . It's far from representative .
The ongoing marketing success proves it . If everyone told their friends Lost in Translation was bad it would have died in a few weeks , no matter how many times its director and stars appeared on Good Morning America .
Why am I telling you this ? Because this is a great movie . Small , sensitive , funny , romantic in an adult way . I don't know anyone among my friends who isn't very enthusiastic about it . It's easy to get sick of my job . I know a lot of what I have to sell is awful . The rare movie likes this makes it easy to think it's worthwhile after all . Believe it or not , not all of us in the industry are happy with FX heavy trash .
018 4 This 2003 award-winning movie certainly won my heart . It's set in Japan and seems like a simple story . Two Americans meet . They experience Japan together . And the audience gets a peak of what it's like to be a stranger in a strange land where a lot gets lost in translation . Having been to Japan myself , it reminded me of the feelings of not quite being able to communicate . And the funny mistakes that are inevitable when cultures and languages are so different .
Starring Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson as the two lost souls , their performances are nothing less than brilliant . I laughed out loud at times . And at other times I was moved by each of their predicaments with their marriages and their search for meaning in their lives . Always , I was delighted with the film . There's a feeling of freshness throughout , as if the characters were just opening their eyes for the first time . It was well paced and the cinematography captured the reality of modern Japan .
The DVD had some unexpected extras too - most notably a half-hour documentary about the making of the film . It followed the film crew from Day One and I loved being steeped in all that behind-the-scenes film lore . Sophia Coppola was the writer and director . She won an academy award for the best screenplay written directly for the screen . I can certainly understand why , especially as I came to understand the challenges of filming in Tokyo .
I give this film one of my highest recommendations . Don't miss it .
019 4 This is a movie that took time to grow on me . It doesn't move quickly , but it is full of depth and that shines through with every viewing . With vivid often surrealistic imagery and sharp witty dialog the film manages to entertain you while telling the real story .
I find most love stories to be trite , formulaic , and self-indulgent . This is far from that . What kind of love do our protagonists feel ? They never sleep together , although they both wanted too . Bob even cheats on his wife with another woman but still doesn't sleep with Charlotte who he has fallen in love with .
That part of the story gives their love purity and validity . They marketed the movie as a story of friendship , but that is a lie . They love each other in a very real way , but they can't express it .
Both are married , the elder in a marriage of 25 years with children , the younger a newlywed trying to maintain a strained marriage . It is that unrequited love that makes it so beautiful . They love each other and are spending time with each other but they don't have each other .
Most of the time unrequited love is one way . A man is obssessed with a woman who doesn't return his feelings or maybe maybe even dislikes the man . This love is a far more tragic love . A love that stays in one place , one moment .
Watching the film you wish they could stay in Japan . We all have moments in our lives like that . A month , week , day , or hour that we wish we could freeze ourselves in . Outside that moment means nothing , no worries of the moments past or future . Just you and that moment trapped in happiness . Maybe thats heaven .
Let's never come here again because it will never be as much fun
020 4 Okay , most people have a top ten list , but actually this is the * only * movie I've seen this year that's got everything : great acting , an intelligent script , beautiful camera work , an exotic setting shot with subtlety and flair . It's funny , sad , and sexy .
Others have summarized the plot so I won't repeat that here . I will say that Bill Murray is perfect as the weary , wary semi-famous actor doing liquor commericials for big money in Japan . There's not a moment that feels overplayed . He just manages to be completely believable , second by second . Like all great actors , he reveals by witholding - - it's clear he desires the beautiful Charlotte ( played with equal perfection by Scarlett Johansson ) ; his tenderness toward her , the intensity of what he yearns for is as clear by what doesn't happen as by what does .
Johansson perfectly plays a 20 - something wife , whose photographer husband is more interested in work and glitz thanin her.She's looking for answers in self-help tapes , Buddhist temples , ikkebana ( Japanese flowerr-arranging ) and late-night calls to uncomprehending friends . There's a killer scene in which he lets her stand there while a Hollywood ingenue gushes over him , and again when he barely suppresses his eagerness to be out of their Tokyo hotel room and on the road .
While both characters are lost in their marriages , neither spouse is flat or easily dismissed . Charlotte feels lost in the world ; at sea in life and marriage . Bill Murray's character is just over-the-hill as an actor , not-quite-but-almost-famous . His wife keeps faxing him bitter notes and Fed Exing capret samples . He's jet-lagged , lonely , and alone . But this is not a sad sack movie . It's really about the ineffable relationships that can form and even forge a life without quite changing the course of it . And it beautifully captures not only Tokyo , and its blurring rushed pace , but also those encounters of youth which we half-remember and never wholly forget .
Coppola's script is subtle and perfect , the pace is European-style - - which is to say , human scale . The scenes of Japan are breathtaking , making a totally foreign place seem as real as the chair in which we sit . She captures the dreaminess of youth , its tempting possibilities and terrible loneliness and beauty . I think that's what makes it seem like such a fresh and youthful film - - even though Murray is front and center throughout , it's really a movie told through the lens of youth .
This is the ONLY movie I want to see more than once this year . It belongs in that precious category of movies like Falling in Love , Swept Away , Indochine that leave a lasting impression because they feel so pure and true .
021 4 I can't believe so many people gave this a bad review . In my mind , this is movie perfectly embodies the disconnected , lonely feeling one experiences even among millions of people when undergoing an existential crisis . I still remember the feeling I got the first time I watched this . I experienced Bill Murray's unsatisfied apathy and Scarlett Johanssen's hopelessly drifting sense of self as if they were my own . And Sofia Coppola , showing her immensely skill at direction , manages to impart an appreciation of the noble beauty of loneliness which lingers after the credits have finished rolling .
This movie is stylish , funny , deep , and real , and for all of these reasons , it deserves a top spot on any philosophical filmgoer's list .
022 4 Looking at one particularly bizarre review here I have to say that some people's way of looking at this charming little film is so very strange
First , the characters DO go out and explore and enjoy Tokyo and Japan , ( Charlotte does anyway , Bob is mostly caught up in work ) but they ARE carrying within them their own sadnesses and jetlag . This is not a hard thing to see in the film .
Neither are either of them remotely describable as ugly Americans . They are puzzled by an alien culture , but neither of them puts that puzzlement down to the other culture's fault . Charlotte in particular would clearly like to know the place around her better . Shown particularly clearly in the Japanese wedding scene .
And they phone home to reawaken contacts with old friends , NOT to complain about anything that is happening to them in Tokyo . Charlotte is not upset with Tokyo . She's upset with her husband . Bob is dealing with strains within his marriage .
So yes , they meet , both jetlagged and sleepless in the middle of the night . The ranting reviewer has failed to point out that there are plenty of white faces around in the hotel but these two spot kindred spirits in each other . And they'd actually RATHER explore the city and the people together than hang out with any of the Americans .
And neither of them does refer to Tokyo as a miserable hell . That's all in the writer's own mind . Pinning all the marvellous complex relationship issues in this film down to a dislike of the alien is evidence of a chip on one's own shoulder . Some reviews are autobiography . Not about the movie at all .
The spectacle of a girl standing and watching her boyfriend playing a music video game is hardly specific to Japan ( as anyone who has a PS2 will know ) . And yes , it does look weird , unless you are actually the one doing the playing . I've seen it in other places than Tokyo . These guitar , drum , dance , video games can be encountered in many parts of the world you know . In America we might also film people gazing mindlessly at a TV set to show the same kind of concentration ( and to what end ) .
In the karaoke scene , no one implies that Bob or Charlotte can sing any better than the locals or show them how to do it . Everyone has fun with it in their own way . And if you HAVE ever experienced karaoke ( which has - incidentally - again spread worldwide from Japan ) you'll know it's not about the quality of the singing anyway but the enjoyment . To put this scene down as the arrogance of Americans shows that chip on the shoulder yet again . EVERYONE is enjoying themselves here , until Bob and Charlotte's jetlag finally does catch up with them .
The film makes fun of the weird things that the Japanese do , but it also makes fun of the weird things Americans do in a foreign country . And this apparently has gone right over more than one reviewer's head . And the humor in the movie is invariably affectionate . Unlike some of the bitter comments here on Amazon .
It isn't about being American , Japanese , or any other nationality , if I had written a review as full of idiocy and as self-revealing as that one , THEN I would have been so ashamed .
023 4 The first time I saw this movie I enjoyed it , but things didn't really connect up for me . I was too concerned with where the movie might be going to actually see that it was already there .
I now find this film to be brilliant , moving , and uncommon . It establishes it's theme immediately and adds layer after layer as it moves along . You'll read a lot of retellings of plot and descriptions of things people found comical . These are all fine , but , to me , they miss most of what makes this film so special .
Okay , the film starts with a shot of Scarlett Johnasson's [ behind ] - and I can only guess what that means . But then we cut to a beautifully shot and scored scene in which Bob ( Bill Murray ) wakes up in a taxicab as it cruises through the brightly lit streets of Tokyo at night . He rubs his eyes , as if waking from a dream ( or into one ) . Amongst the unintelligible ( to him ) signage , he sees a large billboard of himself : he is somehow an accepted part of this overwhelming landscape . Then we get a close-up of a flashing neon sign with huge Japanese letters , as if it is announcing something absolutely germane to existence . What does it say ? ! Well , to people who can't read Japanese , it doesn't say anything . That's the point . No matter how urgent or spectacular the presentation , most everything we encounter in life has no inherent meaning . This movie is filled with such images-and the fact that many of them reference the Japanese culture is incidental . Every culture is filled with customs that seem odd or silly to those outside of that culture . ( One could easily argue that the present state of American television programming is just as absurd as the weird stuff that's on Japanese TV in the film ! )
Amidst this landscape we have Bob and Charlotte , each trapped in a life that , for them , lacks depth . By that I mean that they are unable at the present time to grasp with confidence onto anything more than this - that is , anything more than the surface of existence . They may have the funds to stay in a wonderful hotel , but there is nothing intrinsically wonderful ( or terrible ) about their lives . Their lives have basic comfort , but little else . There is no joy in their careers , and they are both in marriages that have settled into passionless routine with people whose priorities lie elsewhere .
What Bob and Charlotte recognize in each other is themselves . Charlotte searches for something that she can connect with ( religion , tradition , culture , etc . ) ; the film gives us many examples of her observing others going about their daily endeavors with zeal and / or devotion . None of it is the right fit for her . When she meets Bob , she discovers someone who has the same cross to bear , but is much further along in the journey . Does it get any better ? she asks , and his first instinct is to say , No . It's this shared burden that makes it so touching when they are half-flirting , half-commiserating , and he sings to her , Show me one thing more than this . . . There is nothing .
I'd better cut this short , but let me say that it's no surprise that a lot of the reviewers here have had strong , negative reactions to this film . It's only right that so many should not get it ; in fact , I'm shocked that the movie has found such a large audience : at its deepest level , this is a movie for those of us who don't get most of what goes on in this world .
024 4 Largely a plotless story of time , place , impression and acquaintance , a strong mood is built of subtle images , a stellar and fitting soundtrack and superb cast . Sofia Coppola has created a film which is visually appealing , bringing to life the overwhelming nature of Tokyo as well as the stark contrast of cultures ( culture shock ) . Unlike something culturally insensitive and disrespectful , like Mr . Baseball , which pokes fun at Japanese culture and way of life in an ugly effort to garner laughs , Coppola illustrates the differences without taking anything away from either culture . Two lonely Americans stuck in a Tokyo hotel , both contemplating their own lives , trying to make efforts in their interpersonal relationships , find each other and somehow find friendship and solace in their acquaintance . This , too , is something many films have tried to do ( older man , younger woman ) , but they degenerate into lurid and unrealistic love affairs or somehow seem too familial ( father-daughter , mentor-protege ) in their portrayal . With excellent writing from Coppola and excellent performances from Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray , the relationship is both believable and refreshing . Lines are not crossed , though there is tension between the two .
Overall , I left the cinema feeling carried away by a mood , nostalgic for that sense of tension , nostalgic for Tokyo ( or at least for that sense of being an outsider but finding acceptance with someone as uncomfortable or alone as I felt ) .
025 4 I went into seeing this movie pre-hype ( advanced screening ) with the knowledge that I enjoyed The Virgin Suicides , as well as Bill Murray in his dramatic turn in Rushmore , and that I was a bit luke warm in regards to the premise , as presented in the trailers ( especially the concept of the age-gap relationship , amongst other things ) .
In the end , what I saw was a focused , fully-realized work of art that brought forth a beautiful series of human emotional truths that transcended the basics of its story through its balances between joy and pain , comedy and tragedy , emotion and narrative . This film is an exquisite and unique amalgam of light , color , temporal rhythm , music , and emotion , all of which adds up to being one of my personal favorite cinematic experiences of the year , or recent years .
026 4 I made a review of Lost in Translation a few days ago , but it has not appeared here . I saw the film on a plane going from America back to India . Usually I do not watch the films on planes because it is to hard to concentrate but I watched this one all through .
I think it is a lovely film . Bill Murray plays a very kind and funny man . It is easy to see why a young lady will feel some closeness . And Scarlet Johnson is a very sensitive actress as a young lady who's husband seems to not love her very much .
I enjoyed to see the Japanese city and country . And the experiences they have in Japan were like when you go from a small town to a big city . This film made me cry . And it did not make me feel like it was trying to make me cry like sometimes films do . And it is a very quiet story . Not like I am used to in films , but sometimes in books . It is a very wonderful film .
027 4 I'm not going to fall into the trap of reviewing the reviews here , some of which are utterly mindless . I've watched at least two movies a week for the past thirty years , not counting reruns on TV . That's a lot of movies , well over 3,000 , but I still love them even though we do go through periods when everything that comes to the movie-house is garbage . Last year was a good year . One of the best in the past decade . And Lost in Translation was one of the best movies . ( I also thought Big Fish was brilliant and Tim Burton's best movie so far . )
Watching so many movies I can't tell you how sick I get of coming out of the theater knowing that I've just been treated like a lobotomized dummy by film makers who think all movie goers are thirteen year old boys with too many hormones who like to see things blow up .
Sophia Coppola , Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson treated me like an adult with enough brain to care about real people making a connection in a strange context . I can hardly praise this movie enough . The low budget does not show , it just serves to make you focus on human details . But then it is always cheaper to make a film about people than about special effects .
I'm bored with movies without characters . I love this one because it had characters and I could care about them . And to those who didn't find it funny , you probably wouldn't like Buster Keaton either . Murray's humor is so deadpan it had me cracking up . Not all humor has to be telegraphed . An unforgettable trip to Tokyo in the company of two people who you really hope will find a little happiness in this world .
028 4 Yes , that was the sound of a movie going right over the heads of many . And no matter how much they say they get it , they clearly did not . If it didn't have anything for you , that's fine , but why the level of bile for a movie that clearly held much for millions ? Whereas negative criticism of Titanic when it came out launched jihads against the critic , it seems to be praise that launches the jihads this time .
I see one negative reviewer call it immature ( in a second - or more - negative review of it ) and then compare it to the success of Rambo , Bad Boys II , and Die Hard .
Well if any of those are one's idea of mature movies it's really not hard to see why some of us are critical of the general US ( and even world ) audience's level of maturity . Granted they ARE about as mature as the MTV love story of Titanic . So if those are indicative of your taste , then rent or buy them . Small honest independent movies like lost in Translation aren't going to be upsetting the apple-cart and dominating the movie industry any time soon , so the world is quite safe for mindlessness .
And please don't lump today's commercial nonsense together with the great movies of the thirties or forties . In those days scripts more often made sense and weren't just formulaic pieces . Treasure of the Sierra Madre or White Heat were masterpieces of maturity compared to today's action films . Die Hard is such formula there has to be a resolution for everyone , no matter how unlikely . First Blood had some merit , but every Rambo film after that was as adolescent as you could get . And Bad Boys ( I II ) were just the apotheosis of commercials as movie making , and immature cop-outs at that ( and were less brave or subversive - despite their attempts at looking cool - than Billy Wilder's Kiss Me Stupid . )
I see some criticising the hype over a fine small film like Lost in Translation , and then defending movies , and an industry that - they proudly say - has dominated world cinemas . . . MOSTLY with hype , AND a marketing juggernaut .
Language advantages and a large captive audience that can make it profitable even to make garbage are a large part of the Hollywood advantage . So is US trade clout which has pushed to have movies labelled as industrial product rather than cultural product . And doesn't that make the mainstream Hollywood attitude clear enough ! Maybe LIT is for people who still believe film is , or can be , a cultural product .
Yes , Lost in Translation has got audience's bums on seats too . And outside of the US it has been sold on very little hype .
It's unproductive , inconsistent , and illogical to claim worldwide box-office as the ultimate judge of success and then claim all those who love this film and have made it make dozens of times its budget are wrong .
Coppola , working within the Hollywood system , has made a movie that reminds me of the best of earlier movies . You can do this , get this degree of freedom , if you keep your budget low enough . As you go up the ladder budget-wise the pressure to create immature action or comedy garbage only builds .
Truffaut , early in his career , liked CLASSY American directors like Ford and Boetticher . NOT every schlock-meister out there . He went on to make films in a quite different mould and films that found a wide audience despite Hollywood's economic clout . Just as Lost in Translation is finding its audience with people who do not think maturity is defined by Rambo , Die Hard or Bad Boys II
I couldn't have said it better myself , but I will . Lost in Translation is for those of us who don't regard Rambo , Die Hard , Bad Boys II . Titanic or American Pie as mature film-making , and I bless Coppola for it .
029 4 WOW there are a suprising number of people who truly destested this film - suprising because I REALLY enjoyed it . I do have to say that the portrayal of Japanese people was for the most part very much playing off of the stereotypes ( which is the only reason that I didn't give it a 5 - star rating ) .
Aside from that BIG issue that I had with the film , I will echo the sentiments of several before me : the movie is not about the plot - it is about the atmosphere and tone . But unlike others before me , I did not find it in the least trying to hard to be a nose-in-the-air , pretentious and overly ambitious art film . It felt very natural and human . I was blown away most of all by Scarlett Johannson - a truly special performance .
This brings me to what I see as a horrible and really unfathomable flaw in the DVD . While they have several extras including a 30 minutes behind the scenes documentary and a moderately lengthy interview with Murray and Coppela , THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO COMMENTARY ON OR WITH JOHANNSON . It really makes me wonder what REALLY went on behind the scenes . Her performance was as good if not better than Murray's and yet he is the sole focus of everything . I would like to say it was a terrible oversight , but it is such a blatant omission that it really made me feel that they totally cheated her and that there was some bad blood there or something . The documentary had ( from my recollection ) only two shots of her : one as she was coming onto the set and a long shot of she and Murray eating sushi . There was also a clip of someone involved with the movie raving about her . In the interviews , the people involved raved about the director , the videographer , the technical thing-thanger , but not Johannson who was only THE STAR OF THE MOVIE ! It truly was an incredible slap in the face .
So nutshell version : Incredible movie . Unforgivable and cheap stereotyping . Beautiful acting and characters with a horrendously underappreciated Scarlett Johannson in a stand out performance . Oh well - she will leave them in the dust as her career progresses . Oh and GREAT SOUNDTRACK !
. . . and lastly : the ending ( whispering ) was PERFECT . Where they could have stuck in some cheesy-ass Goodbye , fair love speech that could easily have ruined the end , they leave it up to the viewer to trust that whatever was said was the right thing to say ; magical in a way that no true words would satisfy either the characters ( see how happy they are afterwards ) , or the audience's expectations . It was beautifully done and made my heart jump . Again - perfect .
031 4 This morning I heard someone tell a co-worker not to bother to
see this awful movie about nothing , with no ending .
So I had to check amazon reviews to see if anyone else had loved it like I did . It looks like the people who loved it , had explained it perfectly .
It is not for someone who prefers a less subtle movie -
action films , or the in-your-face style comedy of the Farrelly Bros . Some movie watchers don't want to translate , they want the point to be obvious . We thought this movie was touching , magical , funny and sweet . A reviewer said it best - it makes you feel something you haven't been able to put into words . My husband and I didn't want the movie to end , we had become so involved with the chemistry of these two people .
Obviously not for everyone .
033 4 This review is from :
Lost in Translation ( DVD )
Brilliant . Captures a few days in the lives of a middle-aged actor and a beautiful young philosophy student who connect in Japan . The stream-of-life direction , the subtle and natural dialogue , the beautiful and haunting cinematography of Japan and the wonderful music make this like watching a dream . The movie , it's sweetness , bittersweet joy and subtle characters , stayed with me for days like a great novel .
Bill Murray gives maybe his best performance ever , nuanced , expressed , understated . Joyous , uplifting , honest . Makes you glad to be alive .
034 4 Brilliant . Captures a few days in the lives of a middle-aged actor and a beautiful young philosophy student who connect in Japan . The stream-of-life direction , the subtle and natural dialogue , the beautiful and haunting cinematography of Japan and the wonderful music make this like watching a dream . The movie , it's sweetness , bittersweet joy and subtle characters , stayed with me for days like a great novel .
Bill Murray gives maybe his best performance ever , nuanced , expressed , understated . Joyous , uplifting , honest . Makes you glad to be alive .
035 4 I was dreading seeing Lost in Translation . I'd heard a lot about it , and had somehow got the impression it was a very worthy movie , something you felt you ought to see .
To my huge surprise and delight I loved it . I wanted it to be longer . I wanted to spend a day with these people . It's true it's an idiosyncratic movie , and that's great for those of us who are sick of seeing the same movie in different clothes a thousand times . Or who are sick of movies only about special effects .
I missed Coppola's Virgin Suicides but after seeing this will certainly search it out . She has a wonderful fresh vision . And the strength of mind to put it on film .
In terms of character , although not of career , Bill Murray seems to be playing himself , a man who uses humor as a way to make the world more amenable . That's just what Charlotte - Scarlett Johansson - needs . Her husband is a star-struck dork and the outlook for their marriage isn't good .
Beautifully filmed , sensitively put together . With such a strong individual vision that you'll either love it or hate it . Not many come down in the middle .
And don't listen TOO much to the complaints about the previews on the DVD . Granted , it's a bit annoying , but they DO superimpose a sign saying you can fast-forward through the previews . It took all of two seconds on my machine .
If you miss Lost in Translation you'll be the loser .
036 4 Boy , this is a divisive one . I have to come down on the side of the ayes . Lost in Translation was one of the best movies of last year . This and Mystic River both blew me away , but in completely different ways .
One thing they both have in common is that they really reward repeated viewing . There's so much subtext in Mystic River that you catch a second time . And the same goes for this one .
It seems everybody has said everything about Lost in Translation with this many votes , so I don't know what more can be said . You've got to try it for yourself . What some people love - the fact that everything isn't put into words - other people hate . For those who think that no matter how depressed and tired you are you should just go out and play pachinko or play tourist , this movie will never work . It's clear to Charlotte her marriage is not going to work . It doesn't seem clear to everyone who sees the movie though . It was to me .
A modern dancer - the serious kind - said to me recently , Audiences just keep wanting things to get faster and faster . They have no patience with waiting . It seems sadly true . I was happy to wait . Not a lot happens in Zen gardens either for some . Everything does for others .
I can hardly fault this movie , although the DVD is a bit disappointing . We deserved more extras .
Bill and Scarlett are great . Sofia Coppola - magnificent job . It's interesting that to those attuned to this movie , it's not vague at all . Nor is it boring . It's funny to see a one star review saying of Charlotte If you're bored , you're boring , when the MAIN thing most one star reviews here say is I was bored
When are we going to see a Japanese one set in New York ? That would be equally strange . Oh , and to the guy who expected Bruce Lee to turn up in this cliched view of Japan , it would have been funny if he did seeing he's Chinese .
037 4 Lost in Translation is a film I saw and fell in absolute love with . Every frame , every movement , every feeling it created in the busy , vibrant setting kept my eyes , and my heart , glued to the screen .
Indeed , Lost in Translation is a movie that succeeds by creating moods . In fact , I think that is why many who do not appreciate this movie fail to have enjoyed it : It's not so much about what is happening or where the story is going , but about the tensions and the aura that the film creates between its main characters ' lives and how they develop that in the - to Americans , at least - foreign world of Japan .
Bill Murray and Scarlet J . do a phenomenal job of creating subtlety . Yes the movie is slow places , and yes it does not seem to be going anywhere easily identifiable . But that is the magic of it ! The beauty in the story comes from the fact that Bill and Scarlet go off on a little journey that is totally separating them from the schedules , boundaries and relationships of the realities they live in .
I adored the gentleness with which the two leads interacted and how sporadically free some scenes were to just explore their own destinations . This is a movie that builds very slowly to a soft anticlimax . It doesn't matter what Murray whispers into Scarlet's ear after a lovingly painful embrace near the film's end . What matters is that for a little while they escaped together , and that for a little while , they left behind everything of consequence in their lives .
What makes some films beautiful are their plots . What makes others beautiful are their cinematography . This is a film that is made beautiful by its ambience ; a movie made complete by its mood . It's a film that urges you to get inside the characters , and feel what they are feeling rather than simply watching what is happening on screen and waiting for it to be dramatic or funny .
Much like the recent ( and brilliant , in another way ) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind , some movies are meant to be appreciated on a level different from others .
Enjoying Lost in Translation is not a matter of intelligence or attention span : It's a matter of losing yourself in a feeling , and leaving your expectations at the door .
038 4 Not excellent perhaps , but at least very very good . Far from finding it slow I wanted it to go on for at least another half hour . Who wants to walk away from people you have come to care for so much ?
039 4 This is a very unique film and the Japanese theme was outstanding ! It was an overall great piece of work . Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson did an incredible job ! Not just any common person would like this , though . This is the type of movie you really have to think deep about , not just what they present on the surface on screen . . . .
040 4 This movie is for anyone who likes unconventional , un-hollywood romantic comedies . Sure , the laughs aren't one-liners given with a sly , knowing wink every two minutes , but the subtlty of Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson's performances are brilliant . Their's is a love story , but an unconventional one that's more realistic and more honest than any other romantic movie out there . The movie is sweet , soft , quietly funny , subtle and wholly original . If you like unconventional characters in an unconventional place with an unconvntional story , then this is for you . If you want a trite , by-the-book , mass-produced hollywood romantic comedy where every character is a cookie-cutter and every story is the same , then this probably isn't for you .
042 4 When I was a teenager I remember sitting with my father late into the night and watching Yazujiro Ozu's Tokyo Story . It's a film about two old parents who visit their children in Tokyo and find their kids are too busy for them .
It's a very slow moving film . To the uninitiated , nothing seems to happen . But everything happens . It contains a world of hopes and dreams .
I would not go so far as to say Sofia Coppola is an Ozu , but she exhibits that same quality of being able to look at the stillnesses of modern life . As with Tokyo Story and many other Ozu films , some will feel nothing happens .
One doesn't expect brash Westerners to understand this feeling of stillness , but Sofia Coppola shows how it is part of them too . Like Tokyo Story this is about people who visit a city that they do not fit into . Unlike the earlier film , here they find one another , and offer a little support . It's a touching and poignant film .
I'd also like to add a comment on the DVD . I didn't much like the previews , even if you could fast forward through them . I do wish there had been a director's commentary ( or an actors ' commentary ) . For once the making of is a genuine production diary and not just a promotional device . I loved it , particularly Bill Murray's Japanese lessons Who do you think you're talking to ! . I also enjoyed the offtakes . I do wish the interview with Murray and Coppola had been filmed with them sitting down . It would have been more comfortable . But it's good to see the evident affection they have for one another .
For now , Sofia Coppola is a breath of fresh air in the film industry . I hope she can keep it up . I want to see more films like this , although not - I should add - just a reworking of this .
043 4 What an amazing film ! All I can say to those who think nothing happens in Lost in Translation is that a lot happens - you apparently just don't see it . It's depressing to those of us who get sick of Hollywood formula and sterility that when a director actually has the vision and the courage to break the mould , certain viewers - who ought to be MOST tired of the formula - get so riled up .
Looking at those who give it one star , and not counting the jealous script-writing wannabes , I am amazed by how unable they are to realise that others might have entirely legitimate reasons for loving it . As some have pointed out , Lost in Translation is to some degree a reworking of the same themes in Brief Encounter . If you're the kind of person for whom Titanic or The Terminator is the apotheosis of cinema don't waste your time . This isn't for you . Neither was Brief Encounter . The fact that it's for a different type of movie-goer does not mean that those different types of movie-goers have scurrilous motives .
Maybe critics and more informed viewers love this film because critics see more movies than you and realise how repetitious and inane most of them are . Maybe they love it because they better appreciate Coppola's subtlety and maturity , and because they can see how much of the characters ' depth in this film is so masterfully conveyed - without putting it into words - by Murray and Johansson . I've seen Lost in Translation three times . It gets better with every viewing . I'll probably watch it again this weekend .
The ire that it apparently raises in those who don't get it reminds me exactly of the anger some people expressed towards another great film : Leaving Las Vegas . It's hard in the Hollywood industry for this kind of subtle film to be made , whether your name is Coppola or not . We should thank God that some operate against the mindless pap many in the audience some prefer and take a chance . And it's amusing to see some throwing out the names of a few art films to establish their credentials for trashing this one . I've seen every art film mentioned here , and Coppola's stands well among them . Those who really love art movies should be more open to alternative visions . I can appreciate Tarantino , even if I don't love him .
Anyhow , the bottom line is the film was cheap to make ( much cheaper than the horrendous Titanic ) , has done very well financially , and has touched a chord in a great many people . It's a huge success . I hope it gives Sofia Coppola the strength to make more films like this , and her excellent The Virgin Suicides . To those who say anyone could make a film like this , I say Go ahead . I'll pay to see yours too , if it is really in this class .
To the broader-minded , don't miss Lost in Translation .
When something arouses such strong divided feelings , whether it's movies or sushi , it's always best to try it for yourself . It's the only way you'll ever know if , as in the case of this film , it can speak to your soul .
044 4 I'm a Japanese man and has just returned from seeing Lost in Translation , which opened today in Tokyo . Having read some reviews beforehand , I expected the movie might not be very enjoyable , but I find it fascinating instead . I was not offended at all by it and actually laughed many times watching
the movie .
I think that the movie captures fairly well how contemporary Japan , in which modern , busy parts are mixed with old , serene traditions in a chaotic way , looks to the two Americans who have little knowledge about or interest in the country they are staying . I can understand well that they feel lost , surrounded by a language , people , and customs they are not familiar with .
With regard to the pronunciation , I think that any Japanese who has once learned English knows that it is very difficult to make a distinction between L and R , as there is no such distinction in Japanese . And I understand well that would be funny to native speakers of English , as the two Americans in the movie .
But I think that would be the case when you hear foreigners speaking your mother tongue , not limited to English . I'm happy to tell my friends coming from abroad that it is not easy for Japanese to make distinctions not only between L and R , but also between B and V , TH and S and some others .
On the scene of the prostitute , I think it is a little bit overdone . And the scene of the nude dancers would not be really necessary to the plot of the movie . But such dancers do exist in Tokyo , and you could go to see them if you would like to , however disturbing that might be .
I think it is true that Japanese characters in U.S . movies tend to be portrayed as one-dimensional , lacking emotional or intellectual depth , but that is not new , and Japanese are all aware of that . As far as I understand , the focus of the movie is not on forming a relationship between the two Americans and the Japanese surrounding them , but rather lack of it , corresponding to their lives back in their home country . In that sense , I think it would be appropriate for the movie to emphasize that they don't understand what the Japanese are talking or doing around them .
Some people might enjoy laughing at the Japanese who mix L and R , but as far as I'm concerned , I'm rather amused by the Americans who are confused in a foreign country of which they have little knowledge . I even guess there might be some Americans who are offended by this portrayal of their fellow
citizens as being ignorant and arrogant .
YARIME Masaru
045 4 This is one of Bill Murray's finest performances on film .
Whoever made the decision to shoot in Tokyo ( the Director's , one can only assume ) , it was a brilliant choice . No city in the world can compete with Tokyo in terms of nighttime lights and the fresh sparkly cleanliness of its streets . Add in the language barrier , the Japanese , their cuisine , great photography , great direction , great acting , and finally , a terrific script , and you have a masterpiece .
Lost In Translation truly makes you feel lost - - - lost in time really . Sofia Coppola's use of the clock while filming native scenes accompanied only with ambient noise is a mighty tool of provoking deep thought in the viewer . Truly it must take guts to consume precious film with such shots , else more directors would utilize the method .
No two better suited individuals than Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson could have been lobbied to fulfill the lead roles . Murray has like , somehow , escalated multiple levels here in connecting with an audience . Maybe he had it inside of him all along , I don't know . Regardless , I am nearly brought to tears watching him . Here's a fellow who is nearly 60 years old , and yet , the most amazing inner talent is just now being revealed to us . What a treasure .
Ms . Johansson plays the perfect newlywed here - - - being left alone in a strange city by a self-absorbed husband who , apparently , doesn't appreciate what he has . Charlotte and the middle-aged Bob Harris ( Johannsson and Murray ) happen to fall into each other's path at one of those cosmic moments of doubt when both are unhappy with their home life .
The gold brick of this entire encounter is cast when they appear together lying on a bed . It must be seen and heard to believe ; it is one of the finest performances of its kind ever filmed IMO - - - Hence the subject line of this review . If you do not connect with this scene , then you are either unable or have yet to experience such a moment in time . It is the height of goodness that a human could possibly feel in such a place .
This is a Fabulous Movie .
046 4 I don't understand the haters of this film . What were you expecting ? Why do you need a complicated plot , and action , action , action to enjoy a film ? Why hate what you obviously don't understand , and were not patient enough to try to ? I see it as being about the sublime feeling of being in the moment , well knowing of the inevitability of it's end and it's about the need humans have for commonality with each other . This film has had a profound effect on me and maby that feeling is based on my life at the present . Maby those people that hated it haven't had a moment to relate to it . Doesn't matter . It's a real and SUPERB film and the ending is beautifully done . Don't rip it apart . Just feel it and if you can't , well that's a shame .
047 4 Just like to say , in response to one reviewer , that it's perfectly possible to love Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson AND love Lost in Translation . I thought Zoolander was great and eagerly await Starsky and Hutch . Also we have Wilson to thank in part for the terrific The Royal Tenenbaums which also provided a great but all too short role for Bill Murray . Yes , both have been in their share of rubbish , but they've had their good moments .
Lost in Translation is just a different , more evocative and poetic kind of movie . I'm happy that all these kinds of movies are being made . I don't see the point in knocking one kind of movie to boost another . I don't want to see the same thing every time I go to the cinema . And Lost in Translation is a refreshing change . A brilliant film .
048 4 It's a complete mystery to me that so many seem unable to appreciate this movie . The same words crop up time and again .
I was bored . Well none of the five star reviewers were bored . They obviously saw something there . I wasn't bored for a second . The film has plenty going on , and for those who see it Lost iin Translation is unforgettable and one of the best movies of last year .
It wasn't funny . I thought it was very funny , although in a dry laconic way rather than an immature sixteen year old kind of way . Maybe some were expecting the wrong kind of funny .
It was over-hyped . Well maybe it was in the US . Not in the many other parts of the world that find it completely excellent .
It was racist . Was it hell ! Having witnessed real racism in the US I must say I find the idea that Americans might be bemused by the manners and mores of a foreign country a laughable one .
I guess that most of all I find it hard to understand the vitriol that such a small , personal , subtle film awakens in some people . It's as if they take it as a personal insult that a film like this even gets made . For myself I take it as a personal insult that so much of what Hollywood crams down our throats is so irredeemably stupid . I saw Taking Lives last week and THAT was a film that deserves this kind of anger .
Why do so many people apparently not have the necessary equipment to understand or get this movie ? It's absolutely wonderful .
( I noticed - by the way - that one reviewer spoke of Charlotte cheating on a faithful husband . I think he walked into the wrong cinema in the multiplex or fell asleep and dreamed a different movie . )
For those with eyes to see , Lost in Translation is a small , sensitive , beautifully written , superbly-acted , well-photographed look at what is almost a love affair , or maybe it is , but in a different way .
Scarlett Johannsen is excellent in both this , and Girl with a Pearl Earring - which is also not for those who like more formulaic fare . And Bill Murray is not in a man IN a comedy but a man who uses humour to cope with the world . A lovely , lovely film .
049 4 Translation is about more than language . It's also about how we interpret each other's signs and behavior . It's so easy to be guarded in today's world . Charlotte would have every reason to put up a wall that would lock Bob Harris out . ( Anyone notice that this fillm completely gives the lie to When Harry Met Sally ? )
In Lost in Translation two people learn how to interpret each other , and learn how to let the walls down . That's a rare and beautiful thing .
I like what Tokyo brings to the movie . Set it in Paris or Venice , and it's just a hackneyed romantic background . A lesser director could even have turned Tokyo into a romantic background too . Instead Sofia Coppola makes it another world .
I don't want to say whether Bill Murray or Scarlett Johansson gave good performances . I just want to believe in sad Charlotte and disillusioned Bob . And they live in these bodies .
I wondered how such an honest film could get made . Cynics said it was because of who Sofia Coppola's father was . And then I read that in its first three weekends in US cinemas alone it earned MORE than it had cost to make it . That doesn't count the weekdays in between , and all the days it's been on since , and all the video sales . The good news is such an honest film got made because so many people wanted to see it . And the investors made a lot of money . Sadly that's always Hollywood's bottom line .
It's nice to see the David of true and honest film-making stand-up to the Goliath of mindless action movies and stories about sex-crazed teens and pies . I am so happy this film did so well , and that as many people love it as much as I do . Maybe , that way , we'll see more like it .
050 4 Have you ever gone away on a summer vacation or somewhere outside of your bubble , came across an individual that you connected with on many levels and spent hours or days enjoying their company until you part , never to see that person again , yet changed in so many ways by the experience ? Essentially that is the plot of Lost in Translation and if you've ever had that kind of experience more than likely you will come away touched by this beautifully moving , emotionally touching film .
If you like your films plot driven instead of character driven , then this film isn't for you . There's isn't much else to tell about Lost . Two lonely hearts , alienated by their personal lives and befuddled by Tokyo's cultural and communicational differences , reach out to each other , bond on many different levels while exploring Tokyo and learn more about who they are along the way . When the final frame concluded , I found myself sobbing in my chair . I have been fortunate enough to have a similar experience ( although not in Tokyo ) and was incredibly touched by Lost in Translation .
Murray is fantastic and subtle , Johansson is a breath of fresh air , Coppola's direction and cinematography is superb and the soundtrack is flawless . Although definitely Oscar worthy on all counts , I think the media hype hurt rather than helped the film . Some people who saw this based on the hype came away disappointed and frustrated ( see any of the one or two starred reviews below ) . See this film ONLY if you meant to see it before it got all the media recognition .
In closing , I don't think Coppola was trying to be artsy or trying to send a message . I think she was honestly trying to show two lonely people connecting with each other on a personal face-to-face level . We seem to have forgotten how to do that in our cell phone / laptop / PDA obsessed society . Nice work Sophia . Very nice work .
051 4 I finally got to see Lost In Translation last night . Not having read or seen the hype , I expected nothing in particular though Bill Murray has long been a favorite .
From the opening , the film is gripping . Tokyo plays a glitzy starring role and is given its due from the cinematographer who should have received awards - - and perhaps did .
Far from being boring , the film's greatest pleasure lies in watching the characters slowly reveal themselves . They are alternately touching and extremely funny . One's heart melts for Bob , Murray's character .
I waited for a crummy , formula ending , but no , Coppola and the scriptwriter didn't yield . The ending is touching and perfectly in character . It would be hard to give this movie any fewer than five stars .
052 4 My test of a great movie is one that has me thinking about it for days afterward . This one does it in spades . O.K . , it is a thinking person's movie . If you are into movies with plots that give themselves away after only five minutes and take every predictable turn and leave you feeling smugly satisfied after ninety minutes-sorry . Try something else . If you crave something deeper , more sublime and with as many layers of meaning as the walls of the Grand Canyon , give it a try .
I rented this video with few expectations and knowing little about it-other than looking forward to seeing a flick with Bill Murray that was set in Japan . As a big fan of Bill Murray , I was only mildly disappointed to discover that he was doing a more serious part here , yet one not completely distanced from some of his previous roles . Murray has the uncanny ability to be both funny and tragic - - the perfect existential anti-hero .
Murray plays Bob Harris , the archetype of an aging film actor , who comes to Tokyo for a quick two million dollar paycheck to film a Suntori Whiskey ad campaign . Overwhelmed by language and culture shock ( though we suspect more is behind his alienation ) , Bob sits forlornly in his posh hotel room , unable to sleep and wanders into the hotel lobby . There he nurses his Suntori scotch , listens to a mediocre American pop group and slinks away from some American businessmen who regale him with their admiration of his previous film work .
We see this movie through the lens of Bob . Call it the ugly American-syndrome and get defensive , but Bob is hopelessly monolingual and monocultural . Like the dog that hears only blah-blah-blah , Rover , Bob hears only a continuous stream of unintelligible Japanese , mangled R's / L's and abbreviated-but-useless translations from his helpful but oh-so-proper-and-politically-correct Japanese translator .
Enter Charlotte : the 20 - ish wife of a clueless , ambitious and insensitive photographer husband in Tokyo for an assignment . Stranded in the same posh hotel ( also afflicted with jet-lag / insomnia ) she eventually connects with Bob Harris . Despite their age difference , the two develop a common bond within their disaffection and alienation . The source of their angst comes from different sources , yet there is an attraction between them that fails to go the ( anticipated ) distance .
Bob's life , like the existential hero in Camus ' The Stranger , is without love , vitality , interest or inspiration . Charlotte , young as she is , finds herself in the same dilemma . She finds comfort and kinship with Bob .
There are moments of pure existential chaos such as when the two bored insomniacs explore the bright lights and strange sights and sounds of Tokyo in a drunken escapade .
This story unfolds in a crucible - - the best of all story devices . A man and a woman , though decades apart in age , find kinship - - and a form of love - - in a strange land surrounded by a language and people they can barely comprehend . The plot is minimalistic . The timeline is one of only a few days .
This is a theme-driven experience that many will not appreciate . Coppolla does an excellent job of creating a world of high strangeness and sublime beauty that will escape many . Don't you miss it !
053 4 My first view of the movie had me just a tad disappointed it wasnt better ( considering all the buzz ) . Dont get me wrong it overall is a very good movie and much better after the 2nd or 3rd viewing . If I had seen this movie pre buzz I would have thought it to be one of the best and original movies I had ever seen . I just went into theatre expecting to see a more than oscar worthy movie at the very least . I still bought the DVD anyway because I love to go back and see certain parts of the movie that will always be classic like Bill Murrays karaoke performance and the scene where he goes on that Japanese talk show . . . . . . totally hilarious !
054 4 I watched Lost in Translation for the first time last night . I find myself walking around today almost in a daze . I liked it . I'm not gushing about it but it feels right and good and real . I don't think it was racist . It was portraying what a real person would feel thrust into a place very different from his / her home . I think that Coppola emphasized the cultural differences because she wanted the viewer to feel what the characters were feeling . Culture shock ! Traveling to a country where you don't speak the language always feels like you're on another planet . To a certain degree , every traveler brings with them a bit of racism , to be nice we call it ethnocentrism , but that doesn't make them a racist .
SPOILER AHEAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I also wanted to make a quick note about the ending that I know others have made as well . The whole time that I was watching the movie , with the knowledge that it is rated R for some sexual content , I was concerned that I would have to see the pair take their relationship to a physical level . I was so glad I was proved wrong . The ending was absolutely perfect !
I love Bill Murray and I'm glad that he is finally getting recognition for his work . Sometimes the look in his eyes in this movie made me feel exactly what his was trying to convey and thats rare in an actor . I never knew what all the hype about Scarlett Johannsen was about and I never thought that I would like her , but she was incredible . I saw parts of myself in her and completely identified with her . I especially loved the shots of her wandering around sightseeing by herself . I could almost see myself doing the same thing . She has the ability to be normal and gorgeous at the same time .
Overall , this movie is not a grand , sweeping epic nor is it plot driven . It is a beautiful , funny and thoughtful film that really showcases the talent of everyone involved .
055 4 Lost in Translation is a gem . There've been so many good movies lately that I wonder if we're going through a renaissance of Hollywood movies , towards the great period of the early seventies , when the US was making good films about serious themes .
This , 21 Grams , Mystic River , Shattered Glass , and a host of others , make such a welcome change from the routine . Scarlett Johansson is a luminous talent . You should also watch her in The Girl with a Pearl Earring . Bill Murray shows he can act when given the chance , as he did in the excellent Groundhog Day . Those who want to see him just goofing off Ghostbusters style should look elsewhere .
And Coppola . It's a name that already means a lot to film lovers . Now it means even more . And I can't wait for her next film .
056 4 Bill Murray plays an ennui-stricken actor in the twilight of his career in his most subtle , nuanced , and engaging , ever : Nothing at all happens . He's in a bizzaro-world , filming a whiskey commercial for a Japanese director in Tokyo . His charcter , Bob Harris , is going through the motions , doing what he needs to do to get his multi-million dollar paycheck , but he's phoning it in . Every day , he goes to the set , does his ' thing ' for a director he can't understand , then goes out and wanders about the city , bemused and detatched . Later , he calls home in the wee hours of the morning , to talk to his equally jaded and exhausted wife . It seems their relationship is rolling along on inertia - They obviously once cared for each other , but there's no energy or spark left , and their relationship is also being phoned in , figuratively as well as literally . Every day , the same routine .
Then , one evening , Bob Harris meets Scarlett Johansson , the lonely and neglected wife of a high-market photographer lost in the city and at her wits-end . The two tired , bored , worn-out souls connect in a solid but low-voltage bond , and they proceed to entertain each other in a platonic and detatched way . They share intimate confessions in the most superficial manner , and give each other cheap drunken laughs as they stumble through the alien backdrop of the city . Neither charcater is so much interested in each other , as they are in finding relief from their psychic pain . There's no passion in their relationship , no flare or future either . They simply stumble through their days together each propping up the other .
While this non-event , as described above , should be depressing and boring , it isn't . Instead , we get an intimate look into the lives of two people trapped by their choices , and without the strength or will to break away from their ruts . It's seductive in a PG - 13 train-wreck sort of way : You can't look away , but at least you're spared the gore of a messy self-destruction . Instead , you kind of dream your way through the movie , entranced , but not quite sure why .
I'd give thie movie one more star , if I didn't feel so . . . exhausted after watching it .
057 4 First of all , I found the movie to be very entertaining . I love the cinematography , dialogue , acting , characters , and especially the scenes of Tokyo . By just seeing this film I now have a strong desire to visit Japan . And of course I thought the soundtrack was absolute perfection . . . My Bloody Valentine , Phoenix , Jesus and Mary Chain . . . awesome stuff .
I found the central theme of the movie to be a very truthful representation of many people living in our time . I believe that the main characters being in a foreign country with a foreign language was a way of showing that they felt like foreigners in general . They didn't understand why they were alive . They were looking for answers but not really doing a great job of finding the answers . They are not heroes . They are regular people struggling to understand their place in the world . The fact that they are trying at all to find the answers is encouraging to me . Most films do not even bring up the question of our purpose in living . Lost in Translation asks the big questions . In that way I would compare it to Magnolia , The Thin Red Line and Adaptation .
Of course the film also takes a close look at marriage and romance . We see the obvious mistakes that they both make ( especially Bill Murray's character ) . Because the movie does not present them as examples I am not bothered by this . When he sleeps with the singer the casual sex is in no way presented as a positive . The movie both shows him as feeling ashamed and just plain stupid . The innocence of Scarlett Johansen's character only brings this feeling out even more strongly in him .
The fact that the two never actually have any sexual encounter also shows that their relationship is not about romance . This makes the movie totally outside of the norm in most Hollywood films . Usually sexual desire is something you automatically follow . Lost in Translation shows the negative effects of adultery . Murray and Johansen never have sex though . They are both seeking answers . They find some encouragement from each other . It seems clear to me that Johansen's character is especially encouraged to love her husband more than ever once he returns . I think she understands that neither of them are perfect and that's ok . Even Bill Murray's character seems inspired to go on with life through his experiences in Tokyo .
I could go on even further with this movie . I could talk about Scarlett Johansen's longing to be loved and admired for her beauty ( her karaoke song is just one example of this ) . I don't think that is a wrong desire either . Bill Murray has the desire to teach , to share , and to laugh . The key to the movie is both are seekers , not examples . If you look at the movie that way there is a power just because they are seeking and don't look for the answers in having sex with each other or some superficial answer like that . Lost in Translation asks the big question about why we are alive . What is our purpose ? The movie doesn't completely answer the question but it gets the viewer going in the right direction .
There you go . There is no clear cut answer at the end of the film . But that is because people in general don't know the answer to the question . The movie is about seeking the truth . And I love it !
058 4 Many things fascinate about this wonderful movie , but one of the most fascinating here on Amazon is those who hate it enough to write repeated negative reviews , and then to complain about ballot stuffing from those who love it .
As for the DVD , it could have been a better DVD for an excellent film . It's only to be hoped that Criterion or someone will eventually produce the DVD with all the extras we deserve - I'd really like a Bill Murray commentary ) and without the previews ( which - admittedly - you can fast forward ) .
In a way I don't think what anyone here has to say on the movie matters much . If you're here because you wanted to buy it , you won't listen to the negative reviews ( which are mostly far from persuasive and too frequently barely even literate - an indication of the people who don't get it perhaps ? ) . If you're here because you hate it , you won't listen to the positive reviews either .
There seems not to be much middle ground . All I can say is that for me it was absolutely unforgettable . Coppola's direction is assured beyond her years , as is Johansson's performance . Bill Murray puts his years in the business to good effect . Accord's cinematography is beautiful , barely augmenting natural light most of the time so it doesn't get that Hollywood look . And the soundtrack is both hip and spare .
You almost certainly came to this page with preconceptions anyway . If you didn't , then you have to try for yourself . As one reviewer said earlier , to some people caviare will only ever be a mouthful of fish eggs . As I write it's number 7 on the DVD charts here . A lot of people obviously appreciate caviare .
060 4 Much like Royal Tannenbaums , you will like this movie , or you will hate it . You have to be able to really appreciate this movie as art , and not just entertainment . There are so many cookie cutter safe movies out there . I am just saying , if you want to watch this movie and enjoy it , just kick back and soak it in . Do not try to over analyze it , or look for meaning , the first time you watch it . Just enjoy it forwhat it is . . .
061 4 I can't tell you if you'll enjoy this movie , I know I loved it but thats just me . Lost in Translation , can be meanless blip in your busy schedule , a waste of Twenty bucks for a DVD collecting dust on the bottom shelf of your CD rack , or it can mean something else , something more profound , a kind of special connection you have that can hardly be decribed in words . And these two different experiences of the same thing , both valid , both honest and true to the person expressing their view is due to how you view the world . The type of person you are is going determine what kind of experience this movie is going to be for you ( kind of like life ) . I'll give you a little crib sheet ( Lets assume you are rather intelligent or at least claim to be , since you are considering an arthouse / independent film ) , if you are very goal oriented , time consciences , a bottom line kind of person who knows the apporpriate behavior in all situations , skip it , this movie offers nothing for you . I'm sure you have a very successful life , a beautiful house , delightful children and a movie is nothing more than entertainment for two hours of your day , where you can unwind . But for you other 10 percent who are a little odd , never really feel comfortable in your own skin , always feel out of place no matter where you are , and consistantly late to any appointments or dates you've ever made , you might be just the right kind of person who really gets this movie .
Getting lost doesn't happen to everybody . Everybody might say they have , or got a taste of it but getting truly and profoundly lost , takes the right circumstance and a special kind of disposition to get there . And you'll know who they are if you've ever been there , because these people don't wear it like a badge of courage , they don't wear black , they don't become goth , they don't express how dreadful they feel . They hide it the best they can . And you'll notice it in subtle ways how they try to act normal , try to fit in , and try to feel like other people . This is one reason why I think Scarlet Johansson is an amazing actress , she hits this quiet despair on the nose . It takes a special kind of actress to portray a woman acting in real life . This kind of multi-layered complex emotional state is so hard to portray because most people aren't aware enough to detect this in real life let alone make it come alive on the screen . Some people believed Charlotte was merely a character bored out of her mind and I could see why because most of the movie she is blank faced , frowning occasionally , and smiling rarely . But you can see her distress in rare moments like her conversion on the phone back home , her meandering walks , her sleepless nights and most telling , her conversion with Bob on his bed . One of the hardest thing to do in acting , is to make it look like you are not acting and Scarlet Johansson does this exceptionally well . It seems like a contradiction and some people might think what if the person can't act , won't they look like they are not acting just the same ? And I disagree because if they couldn't act , we would not believe that that person is feeling the emotions they are portraying , and the only way a person who couldn't act would be believed is if we all witnesses that person going through those emotions in real life as it happens to them , and that won't be acting , that would be real life .
Bill Murray , what can I say ? He was playing himself if he was stuck in that situation . Maybe it wasn't a strench for Bill to play himself ( ie Bob ) but who else could have played Bill Murray better than Bill Murray . The part was written for him and of course it fit him like a glove . What couldn't be faked is the magical chemistry between Bob and Charlotte , and for a movie with no plot , that is everything .
063 4 I think this movie deserved every bit of hype it received . Last year's abundance of comic book movies and Matrix sequels really turned me off . This movie brought together two characters with much in common though at different stages of their lives / marriages and avoided all unhappy marriage / lonely character clichés . The beauty of this movie lies in what doesn't happen .
Most people I know who didn't like this movie were expecting a Bill Murray comedy . It is , but not in the obvious ways . It is so much more . Murray and Scarlett Johansen were perfectly cast - I could not imagine any other actors playing these parts .
064 4 This is an interesting one . I think it is the type of film you either get a feel for or you don't . And that's okay . Certainly not as miraculous or profound as some think , it's a wispy daydream carried by a quiet , little story , an etheral soundtrack and an ending that leaves you with , what did he say ? The performances are consistently great in this fish-out-of-water romance . Did it deserve all the attention ? Perhaps . But maybe it's just that we need more of this type of film in our drama - , effects-heavy world .
065 4 I am not surprised at the number of people who did not like this movie . More often than not , unsophisticated viewers need every little twist and turn explained and explicitedly shown to them for them to understand it . What these people enjoy is a Hollywood cookie-cutter picture with an obvious start , an obvious climax , and an obvious ending . Without these three parts , a movie just doesn't seem complete to them . They have no ability to read between the lines .
An example of such people . . . A critic at Amazon said she was so bored , she felt she would summarize the movie to save us from having to watch it . She goes on to state that Bob Harris is a washed up comedy actor . WRONG ! He's a washed up actor , true , but likely an action film star , a James Bond type actor . She also goes on to say that Charlotte's hubby is a travelling musician . Hellooooo ? Did she miss the part where he's packing his CAMERA GEAR and where Kelly says that he's ALWAYS BEEN MY FAVORITE PHOTOGRAPHER ? Subtlety is lost on stupid people .
Fine . This movie isn't for you . Go rent Rambo .
066 4 Loneliness is one of the most basic human emotions ; when experiencing it , some people will reach out to others who understand that feeling . That sentiment seems to be at the heart of Lost in Translation , a film that straddles the line between odd love story and a look at loneliness and isolation .
Bob Harris ( Bill Murray ) is a middle-aged actor with a faded career . Currently he's alone in Japan , filming a commercial , and feels lonely and alienated despite the luxurious surroundings and royal treatment . He catches glimpses of a pretty young blonde , Charlotte ( Scarlett Johansson ) , who intrigues him .
She is equally bored and lonely , and at loose ends since her husband is away working . The two finally meet over drinks , and begin to bond and explore the city of Tokyo . Bob is in a downtempo midlife crisis , while Charlotte is unsure what to do with her life . And they both learn that they have things to teach one another . . .
A small warning : Lost in Translation has very little plot . And yes , it can be pretentious at times , sometimes politically incorrect . Fortunately , Sofia Coppola's second full-length film has qualities to make up for its improvised plot , with the beautiful cinematography , good direction and outstanding acting by its two main leads . It's a movie that requires patience and slow unfolding .
Loneliness is the theme of this movie . Particularly , it's the loneliness of the soul - - Charlotte and Bob are surrounded by people , yet they feel alone . Hanging out together alleviates their loneliness for a little while , even though their problems won't go away . As a result , some parts of it can feel hollow . But at the same time , it gives the film a more realistic feeling - - often people in such situations DON'T deal with it .
In keeping with the theme , Coppola keeps the movie slow and pensive , with plenty of beautiful cinematography and exquisite shots of Tokyo . The entire film has a slightly shadowy , glowing look . And the quiet dialogue has a witty , acerbic edge , such as when dizzy blonde Kelly announces I'm under Evelyn Waugh , only to have Charlotte inform her that , Evelyn Waugh was a man .
Bill Murray rules this film , with his understated expressions and world-weary attitude . It's surprising that someone could act so blase , and yet be strangely charming . Scarlett Johansson proves that she is no longer just another child star , with a solid performance that stacks up well beside veteran Murray's .
Strange , slow and pensive , this is a film that takes some getting used to ; it may even take multiple viewings to fully get . Just soak it in , and see how you like it .
067 4 I wanted to see this movie for a long time . I had remembered Sofia Coppola's performance in Godfather 3 many years ago and enjoyed her earlier movie The Virgin Suicides . I knew from what I had seen that this movie was not your run-of-the-mill movie .
This movie about a beyond-his-prime American Movie Star visiting Tokyo because he got a hefty paycheck to promote Japanese Scotch . . . . . . could be seen as depressing . It could be seen as having no story . . . it could be seen as boring .
It is none of those .
The pace of the movie allows you to find your own tempo alongside the movie's tempo .
The humor is wry and understated .
The relationships are real and the ending is another non-Hollywood ending .
The acting tends towards subtle , nuanced and intelligent . ( I also found myself wondering what it would have been like if Scarlett Johansson had received the role in Parent Trap that went to Lindsey Lohan . Would she be a Disney Diva now ? Shudder to think . . . . )
I loved the scenes of Bill Murray dealing with the Directors of the Scotch commercials . Very funny .
There were also great I don't fit here sequences , wordless yet among the most strongly stated of the movie .
One sort of fun-review-aside , I smiled when I watched a Bonus Feature of Bill Murray and Sofia Coppola hanging out in Rome , it looks like they are standing on a patio or something . The contrast between old-world Rome and neon flavored Tokyo was astonishing - and since I watched this bonus AFTER the movie , I was also reminded of how much Scarlett Johansson's performance seemed to echo Sofia Coppola , the writer-director herself .
Both have soft voices , appear very present yet just a wee bit unattached . . . spend a lot of time just thinking ( from all appearances ) and doesn't show much emotion yet we somehow sense there is a lot of feeling going on in there . . . somewhere .
In fact - that last paragraph is a passable description of the movie itself .
068 4 I just will say I saw Lost in Translation on a plane from the United States , and it may be the only time in my life I have enjoyed watching a film in flying . I think Japan must be a very interesting place . It has a good mix of old and modern and I can see it will be very hard for an out sider to understand . I have been through a very same experience in US , and even I could follow the language .
You might think it not believable that a 20 year old girl could be so close with an older man but I have seen it happen all the time . Even many I have seen get married . Both of the main stars in this film were very good . I was so happy to see it win the Oscars when I was in Sacramento . I think the woman director is very charming and very talented . In India we do not have enough of this quiet sort of film . Even the films we see from America are not like this . I wish I could see more such films .
069 4 First of all , I will admit that this film is not for everyone . And people have questioned the lack of no plot ( as some would say ) , and the weird sexual relationship between the two protagonists . But this film , is like having one of those sernedity moments , of just exploring you mind on your life , as you stare up into space.But I think that people will get disappointed , that with all the critics hype , they expect a clear beginning , middle , and end . And , I think that if you never felt like you never had a connection with a person you just met , than perhaps you wont understand the relationship between Bob and Charlotte . There relationship is nothing sexual , but you can tell that , they were made for each other . There soul-mates that share a connection . And Tokyo acts as a background to all these , giving the feeling of loss , and isolation from their home ( America ) . But there relationship contents full of unqiue honest moments , in which they use each other to understand themselves better . Its kinda like one of those close intimate friendships , where you find a instant bond with each other , as well as learning from each other , and than parting . Is not sad , its bittersweet and leaves the sense of moving forward in time .
I must say that this film , is gorgeous in showing the beauty of the city , and Sofia Coppola , has done it again ! ! I love the Virgin Suicides , and I must say that Lost in Translation shows more of the depth , and brillance that is contended in Sofia .
I dont recommend this movie to others , but I must say that I ( a 16 year old ) loved the feeling of the film . And in particualr , I must give thanks for Sofia , for writting / directing this poigant little gem ! Keep up the brilliant work ! !
070 4 The movie hasn't come out in Japanese theaters just yet , but I watch the DVD that I ordered from Amazon the other day . I have to say that I loved it very much . There were some scenes that were a little bit too stereotypical . I am sure that some Japanese may take those very offensive . But , somehow I felt love for Japan in this movie . Sofia Coppola lived in Japan in the past , so she must know what she was making too . Besides , just because it is taking place in Japan , it isn't about that . It is about feeling isolated and alinated , isn't it ? A big city like Tokyo can easily make you feel like that . And that feeling is universal . I really felt for those characters . I felt like I knew how they were feeling . I thought Bob Harris is a kind of like Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver in New York only he didn't go as nuts . Sofia Coppola did a great job putting those feeling out on the screen . I really admire that . Those who watched this movie and wonderd how it is like to be in Tokyo , try to come and visit here . You may see what Sofia was trying to come across .
071 4 I find it very interesting that this film seems to provoke such potent and disparate reactions from people . I think to say that the reactions can be divided into the car-chase loving neanderthal and beret-wearing art-film snob camps may be oversimplifying things a bit . I can definitely say I understand why people would dislike this film . However , I loved everything about it , from the stunning cinematography to the soundtrack ( I'm a big Kevin Shields fan and have been waiting forever for him to do ANYTHING of consequence ) to the multi-faceted performances of the actors . This is the defining role of Bill Murray's career , and those who dismiss it as simply Bill looking hang-dog and bored are missing volumes in my estimation , as are those who dismiss the story as too minimalist .
The thing I liked best , though , was the fact that there were various points in the movie where I expected a cheesy cliche Hollywoodesque turn to occur , and it never happened . That , to me , is the mark of a great film . See it , and keep an open mind .
073 4 There are 966 user reviews at the time that I write this , so I realize the futility of adding yet another voice to the chaos that will probably never be completely sorted through completely by anyone thinking about purchasing this movie , but on the off chance that someone will read this , here's my opinion anyway .
I liked this movie . A lot . Lost in Translation seems to run the gamut of reactions to it though . Some people love it , some people hate it , others remain bored and indifferent . Here's a brief rundown of why I love it
1 . Coppola's camera . The cinematography is beautiful , the camera tech reflects and amplifies the story , and Tokyo is allowed to shine .
2 . The writing . Dialogue is well-crafted and the actions are significant . Also , though some say it's a boring movie , I liked the pacing .
3 . Coppola's character direction . The nuances of the performances and what's said and what's not said , these things come together to create vivid character studies . And of course , to go with this . . .
4 . The actors . Bill Murray , Scarlett Johansson , and Giovanni Ribisi are all very good and convincing . The interactions between these characters almost become separate entities in themselves .
5 . All that pretentious conceptual stuff . Hey , I don't think it's a pretentious film , but others seem to think so . I actually thought this movie hit the mark it was aiming for , in tone and in a consistent portrayal of themes . For me , this is about alienation and the power and weakness of words . And it's a love story . Actually , speaking of that , my last and most specific point . . .
6 . The romance avoids cliches . Sure , a lesser director with less imagination might've pandered to the audience and these two leads would eventually end up in the sack in a Lolita-esque conclusion , but I think it's more believable the way it all actually works out , and there's more emotional impact in the end in my opinion . I applaud Coppola's choice to keep this affair subdued . Even though Bob and Charlotte's relationship seems to be sexual at some deep level , it's not about sex . It's about how these characters find each other and relate to each other so fantastically , in words but more importantly in ways words can't convey .
that's it for me .
074 4 This review is from :
Lost in Translation ( DVD )
Lost In Translation written and directed by Sofia Coppola .
Bob Harris ( Bill Murray ) an actor whose prime is behind him travels to Tokyo to endorse a whiskey for a sizable payday as well as to take a break from his home and married life . Bob struggles with what may be a mid life crisis and seems to mentally struggle with the emptiness and life questions that it brings on . . .
Charlotte ( Scarlett Johansson ) a recent graduate from Yale with a philosophy major and a recent newlywed has traveled to Tokyo with her husband John ( Giovanni Ribisi ) who is a celebrity photographer . John's work consumes him and as he travels all over Japan he leaves Charlotte in Tokyo and a feeling of neglect begins to set in . Charlotte has achieved all of her early goals of finishing school and getting married but she still doesn't really know who she is or what she wants . A disconnect begins to form between the intellectual Charlotte and the work driven John and his banal , self centered celebrity friends . Charlotte isn't sure where life is taking her and can't seem to find direction . . .
Charlotte and Bob meet and find a kindred spirit in one another and an unlikely friendship is formed . . .
This was a great movie but is not going to be for everyone . Lost In Translation is a character driven movie and is not driven by a typical A to B plot . It is about watching each of the characters deal with their own emotional ups and downs and as a viewer you will either find a connection with what's happening on screen or be left thinking it was pretentious and wondering what it was all about .
The Good : It was great to see Bill Murray take on something that is a little outside of his norm and succeed at it and a great performance by Scarlett Johansson as well . Anna Farris also has a small part in Lost as an actress who has just filmed a Matrix like movie and she nails her part and gives an excellent performance .
This was great writing and directing by Sofia Coopola . The scenes and the way they were shot were great at letting the audience know what was going on with the characters .
The score was perfect and with the combination of great directing and acting the emotions of the characters and their internal struggles were excellently conveyed .
The Bad : Nothing memorable .
Overall : Lost In Translation is definitely not for everyone . Don't look for steamy love scenes or action packed fights and don't come looking for slap stick comedy . Lost In Translation is a character driven movie about people in a living purgatory looking for something or someone that will lead them out . If that sounds interesting then pick this up and give it a try .
075 4 Lost In Translation written and directed by Sofia Coppola .
Bob Harris ( Bill Murray ) an actor whose prime is behind him travels to Tokyo to endorse a whiskey for a sizable payday as well as to take a break from his home and married life . Bob struggles with what may be a mid life crisis and seems to mentally struggle with the emptiness and life questions that it brings on . . .
Charlotte ( Scarlett Johansson ) a recent graduate from Yale with a philosophy major and a recent newlywed has traveled to Tokyo with her husband John ( Giovanni Ribisi ) who is a celebrity photographer . John's work consumes him and as he travels all over Japan he leaves Charlotte in Tokyo and a feeling of neglect begins to set in . Charlotte has achieved all of her early goals of finishing school and getting married but she still doesn't really know who she is or what she wants . A disconnect begins to form between the intellectual Charlotte and the work driven John and his banal , self centered celebrity friends . Charlotte isn't sure where life is taking her and can't seem to find direction . . .
Charlotte and Bob meet and find a kindred spirit in one another and an unlikely friendship is formed . . .
This was a great movie but is not going to be for everyone . Lost In Translation is a character driven movie and is not driven by a typical A to B plot . It is about watching each of the characters deal with their own emotional ups and downs and as a viewer you will either find a connection with what's happening on screen or be left thinking it was pretentious and wondering what it was all about .
The Good : It was great to see Bill Murray take on something that is a little outside of his norm and succeed at it and a great performance by Scarlett Johansson as well . Anna Farris also has a small part in Lost as an actress who has just filmed a Matrix like movie and she nails her part and gives an excellent performance .
This was great writing and directing by Sofia Coopola . The scenes and the way they were shot were great at letting the audience know what was going on with the characters .
The score was perfect and with the combination of great directing and acting the emotions of the characters and their internal struggles were excellently conveyed .
The Bad : Nothing memorable .
Overall : Lost In Translation is definitely not for everyone . Don't look for steamy love scenes or action packed fights and don't come looking for slap stick comedy . Lost In Translation is a character driven movie about people in a living purgatory looking for something or someone that will lead them out . If that sounds interesting then pick this up and give it a try .
076 4 I must say , the first time I watched this movie , I hated it . My husband and I had rented it for the night and were expecting a film that moved along a little more quickly . After all , don't most films do that these days ? It's unusual to have a film that unfolds slowly and deliberately , and if you're not in the right mood for that kind of movie at that moment , you're going to hate it . I hated this movie ( with a passion ) the first time I saw it . My husband and I rolled our eyes at each other when it was done , as if saying , Can we get those 2 hours back ? !
The next time this movie was on the movie channel , I watched it again . I began to appreciate the actors ' performances , as well as the glimpses into the culture of Tokyo .
The unspoken romantic feelings between Bob and Charlotte are wonderful , and it was refreshing to have a movie that convincingly portrayed a bond between two characters without having them rip their clothes off . We can see that they're attracted to each other , but they also know that they have other obligations . Heartbreaking , but beautiful .
077 4 Judging by the number and contents of the reviews here , one who has not seen the film might be led to believe that this is a film that espouses some sort of polarizing polemics . What it actually is is a sweet , dreamlike story of two lost people , lost in a foreign land the language and customs and cultures of which they don't understand and lost in their own journeys in life , who met and made a connection and , as the vagaries of life are such , were unable to sustain this bond to the end . The coda of the film strikes the perfect note and I am not embarressed in the least to say that it puts a lump in my throat every time I watch it . As already mentioned in many other positive reviews of this film , the acting has a cinema-verite quality and is uniformly fine , especially that of young Scarlett Johansson , whose understated grace and manners belie her age . Overall , a very , very impressive effort by Ms . Coppola .
PS . I find all reviews here that chastise other reviewers and question their intelligence and sanity for simply having a different opinion than their own to be distressing and unnecessary . We view films through prisms shaped by the lives we lead and if we can only agree to disagree , perhaps the world can be a better place .
078 4 I saw the film in Tokyo's Shibuya where a lot of the scenes were set . No subtitles for the Japanese dialog since the cinema was in Japan . Why did it take so long to get released in Japan ( today 4 / 17 / 2004 ) ? And why only one theater in Tokyo ? The lines were very long , and typical of Tokyo they sell more tickets than seats available , so many sat on the floor or stood . This underscores the film that many don't get . . . a megalopolis of 30 million , and foreigners on the fringe . I appreciate that Sophia Coppala spent a lot of time here , and it is very evident in the film . WOW . How touching , even for the Japanese who saw life through our eyes . The best part is after leaving the theater , the facination continued through this great experience I'm having here in Tokyo in my life . I must admit , I've cried myself several times the past few months due to alienation and hope based on the need to fit in and be held by someone who understand me . ( so many reviews I don't anyone will ever read this )
079 4 I don't share the conventional wisdom that this is some kind of masterpiece , but it's a good film . It's slow in spots but Bill Murray is inspired and Scarlett Johansson is touching , and the last 30 minutes are genuinely poignant . I think the reason this film has been so praised is because it is so different from most commercial Hollywood movies out there . But I remember the movies from approximately 1967 to 1981 , and believe me , this is what they used to be like before Spielberg and George Lucas infantilized them and dumbed them down . Characters and stories were allowed to be complex and adult , like a good short story ( like this film . ) People saw the name Coppola on this film and got nostalgic for a time when movies still mattered to grown-ups . This movie isn't in the same league as The Godfather . But's it's definitely in the same honorable tradition .
080 4 The movie is entertaining enough for an evening's viewing , although it certainly doesn't do any justice to the Park Hyatt Tokyo which is much better up close than via Sofia Coppola's cameras . As a Tokyo resident , I thought some of the Tokyo scenes were too stereotyped . However , the best parts were the encounters of Bill Murray with the Japanese , including the hotel staff , the tv host and the production crew staff for the commercials . These were kind of exaggerated , but they nevertheless had our whole group in stitches . Some people may find the dialogue and pace slow , but in a way this is Japan for you - not in-your-face all the time and full of subtle and quiet changes that slowly creep up behind you .
I recently read a novel called Tokyo Stories ( www.tokyostories.net ) which is about the life of foreigners in Japan , and much of it was also set in the Park Hyatt Tokyo . It was an interesting complement to see Tokyo from two sets of foreign eyes , and to see this amazing hotel against two very different backdrops . The subject matter is similar but the movie is subtle and proceeds at a leisurely pace while the book is fast-paced and direct . What a nice contrast !
081 4 No one movie will be liked by everyone . From the reviews I read , you will either love it or hate it . I will not analyze the cinematography or the subtle nuances like the psuedo-intellectuals do , but tell of my experience with watching this heart-wrenching , bittersweet little film .
This is a simple movie about two people who are not fully satisfied with their mates or themselves . Maybe their spouses turned out not to be who they wished them to be . This unhappiness is heightened not only by the loneliness felt being in a foreign country but the unhappiness they feel about themselves . Bob is a has been actor who does not receive affection at home and Charlotte , like all young people , is struggling to find herself .
When these two meet , there is an instant connection that makes them come alive . It's not about being sexually attracted but mentally and spiritually attached to someone . It's about these two lives being fulfilled for the one week they have each other . Your soulmate can be any age , any background . Possibly the most moving film I have ever seen , I cried at the end knowing they will never be as happy again .
The most moving parts in the film were the kareoke scene when Bob sings Bryan Ferry's More Than This and when they are laying in bed and he touches her feet . The most disappointing is finding out that the song More Than This is not on the soundtrack which was for me the core of this movie .
I have not been moved like this by a film in a long time . A surprising admiration for Bill Murray's acting and a definite keeper for my collection .
082 4 This review is from :
Lost in Translation ( DVD )
There seems to be a chasm between people who like this and people who don't . I think you have to experience these kind of moments to appreciate them fully . Not everyone does . But I totally understood this movie from the beginning to the end . I totally related to the plot and characters . In fact , I could change places with Bill Murray's character and never miss a beat . I've also know beautiful young ladies like Scarlett's character at an emotional level like this . I've connected with people in crowded places just like this . I've experienced job burn-out and marriage just like this . I've sold out and bought in just like this . I've experienced confusion like this . And the pace of this movie was perfect in my humble opinion . You have to inhale deeply with a movie like this . It's transcending to see yourself in a movie . It's the ultimate movie experience .
083 4 There seems to be a chasm between people who like this and people who don't . I think you have to experience these kind of moments to appreciate them fully . Not everyone does . But I totally understood this movie from the beginning to the end . I totally related to the plot and characters . In fact , I could change places with Bill Murray's character and never miss a beat . I've also know beautiful young ladies like Scarlett's character at an emotional level like this . I've connected with people in crowded places just like this . I've experienced job burn-out and marriage just like this . I've sold out and bought in just like this . I've experienced confusion like this . And the pace of this movie was perfect in my humble opinion . You have to inhale deeply with a movie like this . It's transcending to see yourself in a movie . It's the ultimate movie experience .
085 4 This film is about the paradoxical loneliness and emptiness in a world that is burgeoning with people .
And amidst this , the strange and unexpected connections between people . It shows that the human soul never ceases to be lonely , even when one is married with children . It never ceases seeking connections , other souls to travel this journey with .
To me , Lost in Translation is also about the magic of travel . When you are alone in a foreign land , you never know when you will fall in love with a stranger , whom you might spend a few hours or a few days with , and quite probably never meet again - - but the memory lingers in your mind forever .
Very little actually happens in this film in terms of events , so if you need lots of events to enjoy a film , this is not for you . but if you are sensitive to body language , ambience , and subtle expressions , you'll love the volumes that Murray and Johansson speak without saying much - or sometimes , without saying anything at all . People around them may be continuously speaking Japanese , and they barely understand a word . but between them , they understand each other perfectly even when they say nothing . . . a glance , a smile . . . and there's magic . The magic of being Lost in Translation , together .
E-mail : elias_stars @ yahoo.com
088 4 Isn't it exciting to see a promising new talent blossom and grow ? With ` Lost In Translation ' , we have the unique pleasure of watching three such talents bloom and find themselves . The first one is , of course , director Sofia Coppola , daughter of the grand master Francis Ford , and a proud collaborator in the family business . ` Lost In Translation ' is only her second feature film , but all the promises made by her debut , the acclaimed ` Virgin Suicides ' , is fulfilled in this movie . Though it shares with its predecessor a kind of drowsy , atmospheric slowness , ` Lost In Translation ' is a much better structured movie , and shows Sofia truly on her way as both director and writer . It earned her an Oscar for best original screenplay , and golden globes for best screenplay and best film ( comedy / musical ) .
The second is young actress Scarlett Johansson . I had my eye on Scarlett since I saw her in two of my favorite films of recent years - Terry Zwigoff's ` Ghost World ' and the Coen Brothers ' ` The Man Who Wasn't There ' . She played supporting roles in both movies , yet I was still impressed , and not just because of her young age ( in ` Ghost World ' she plays a highschool graduate along with Thora Birch , yet she is two years younger than Birch - she was only 16 when the movie was made ! ) This year , though , we can see her in two leading roles - in ` Lost In Translation ' and ` Girl With Pearl Earring ' - and in ` Lost In Translation ' , she really proves that she's a talent to be reckoned with .
The third is - yes , that's right , Bill Murray . So , yes , he's been around for nearly a quarter of a century now , but we never really thought of him as much of an actor , right ? Good though he was in ` Ghostbusters ' and ` Groundhog Day ' , never before have I imagined him to be anything more than a comedian actor , and capable of playing a lead dramatic character successfully . In ` Lost In Translation ' he is both funny and touching , and his performance is worthy of an Oscar .
` Lost In Translation ' is a beautiful , moody , atmospheric little piece of perfect cinema from a young director just beginning to show what she has to offer . It moves very slowly and has very little plot , but never gets dull . Altogether , it's one of the best and most intelligent films of the year . Very highly recommended .
089 4 Lost in Translation continues Bill Murray's current fondness for taking offbeat , fitting , and somewhat less commercial ( than his past ) roles , in movies including this and Wes Anderson's Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums . All have been beautifully made movies with perfectly acted roles by Murray , and Lost in Translation is no exception .
This movie was one of a small group of movies ( which I can count on one hand ) that has left me with a real appreciation of the beauty that's possible in film , and in some ways , in life ; It's also very funny , and I recommend it highly . However , it's apparently not for all tastes , despite it's beauty and hilarious moments .
It's apparently ( based on several other reviews ) not for those with short attention spans or without an appreciation for true cinema art , which this is . It is NOT boring , though , and it IS very funny . And I for one was cheering for Bill Murray during the Oscars . All in all , a great movie and another excellent longterm career choice for Bill Murray .
090 4 Any movie goer or video renter , who watches romance dramas or romantic comedies knows that the formula of every mainstream romance is the same : lovers meet , fall in love , usually have great sex , argue , break up , and get back together - - and a Natalie Cole song more than likely This Will Be plays during the end credits . And we all know in reality that love isn't usually like that and meeting people and connecting with people is always a little deeper and more complex . And Sofia Coppola knows this too . Although its sometimes fun to watch random movie stars thrown together , not based on on-screen chemistry but more on reaching broader demographics , go through the trials and tribulations of love and romance . It's also enlightening and even more fun to watch films where two people trapped in their own private miseries bond in a foreign country for a week long odysessy of late night chats at bars , karaoke parties , and strip joints . That's the beauty that Coppola brings in Lost in Translation , a dreamy escape into the unique bond between hotel loners : Bob , an unhappily married , aging movie star in a mid life crisis played with sweet charm by Bill Murray and Charlotte a young wife struggling to find her place in the world played gracefully by Scarlett Johannson . Their connection is so endearing niether of them can explain it and they never dwell on the mechanics of it and Coppola never throws in a cheap Lolita-esque plot twist . The story is really shaped around two lost souls finding comfort in the other's company .
Lost In Translation is a love letter to the mysterious ways people find each other in their most needful times and how attraction isn't always centered around sexual desire but perhaps a sense of longing or wonder about the possibilities of what if and the intimacy of the unsaid . And isn't that unsaid yearning the most beautiful language the heart could ever speak ?
093 4 3.5 stars more like . . . I saw this movie in the theatre first with a Japanese friend ( incidently he did not find this movie racist in the least , a lot of the stereotypes are true - - arcade scene / Johnny Carson talk show ; conversely there are a lot of American stereotypes throughout the movie as well that are mocked ) . And there are several parts throughout it which are hilarious ( anything involving the whiskey commercials - - especially the Roger Moore bit ) . There were occasional parts in the movie that were slow and tedious , but frequently the acting smoothed over some of these slow parts .
Character development appears to be a strong point in Coppola's writing . She did an incredible job with the two main characters , of course . But even some of the side characters were well developed ( e.g . , the stereotypical ditz - - based on Cameron Diaz , Scarlett Johannson character's husband , even Bob Harris ' wife - - who didn't show up at all on screen were well put-together ) .
Overall a decent movie , I've watched it a couple times , and it does get better . Not for people who don't like movies carried by character dialog . . .
094 4 I'm so sad that there's such apathy and ignorance directed at this absolutely gorgeous cinematic gem . I rarely care for characters as I did for Charlotte and Bob Harris .
Bill Murray was almost always on the verge of tears during his solitary moments or moments with Japanese PR people , but his soul glowed with life when Charlotte was with him . I couldn't believe I was watching such a subtly beautiful performance from Bill Murray - - even though I do think he's a damn good actor and I've always loved him and most of his movies .
Two soulmates found each other in a strange sea of people they cannot relate to whether it's the people of Tokyo , their spouses , or their life , they found something magical in each other . If you've ever encountered someone special in your life , you'll most likely relate to the bond you feel with someone in the face of adversity or loneliness .
That's why I can't believe the absolutely dopey reviews to this movie about boredom . Can't people watch a movie without the couple jumping into bed immediately or the bangs of explosions ? I enjoy those types of movies too , but this movie is about relating to each other , intimacy ( real intimacy , not sex ) , and some damn funny humor thanks to aforementioned Bill . Perhaps the views expressed here are indicative of the sad state of our society and I find * that * depressing . I also find the negative , non-constructive reviews boring .
The movie , however , I find exhilirating and life-affirming . Thank you Sophia Coppola , Bill Murray , Scarlett Johansson and the whole crew ( and Japan ! ) for this AMAZING movie ! ! !
095 4 What is going on with you people ? One star reviews for one of the most resonate motion pictures of the year ? ? ? This movie contains the most real acting I've seen in 2003 outside of 21 Grams . The atmosphere is beautifully layered with elements of thoughtful speculation , light humor , the neon glaze of Tokyo , and a very deep melancholy . I cannot understand how anyone with an interest in people and relationships can dislike this movie ! If you were expecting a typical Bill Murray flick and didn't get that , blame the product placements and ads , not an amazing and unique movie such as this . Lost in Translation was never intended to be mainstream , but after such critical acclaim and Bill Murray in the title role it had no other choice . I can understand some people who expected pure comedy being dissapointed , but how can anyone not be delighted with a movie as real and hearfelt as this ? Bill Murray and Scarlett Johanson are complex and endearing characters . The direction is perfectly subtle as it allows us to simply watch these two interact with each other and the environment around them , slowly building a relationship beyond what they can understand . There is humor , but it plays a supporting role , as it does in life . So lets set the record straight - - do not buy or rent this movie if all you want is the typical Bill Murray fare , because you WILL NOT get it . What you will get is a film of great atmosphere and depth , with wonderful performances , and very real emotions . It is a subtle film , but a great one . Try to watch it without expectations , and give the film its due attention .
P.S . The long conversation scene in the hotel room at night is an amazing feat of acting and direction .
096 4 Lost in Translation is a moving film filled with light humor and heart . It has comedic and dramatic elements to it , and the two play together beautifully . The film is definitely one of those that people will either love it or hate it ; take it or leave it , etc . Either way , it is a film that easily stays in your head after it is long over .
Bob Harris is currently in Tokyo to shoot a whisky commercial . He was once a movie star but is now reduced to doing product endorsements . It's easy to see that he isn't the most pleased with how things have gone in his life - - but at the same time , he doesn't seem very regretful or overly depressed . One night in a bar , he meets a young lady by the name of Charlotte , who's also visiting in Tokyo due to her workaholic husband who's doing some photo shoots there . Bob and Charlotte connect with one another in very little time and a unique bond of friendship is formed .
Whether the connection will be a short-lived or a long-term relationship is besides the point , but what is the point is those little connections we make on a daily basis and how much of a profound effect they can have on us . Like the characters and the story , the film is superbly subtle and low-keyed . The end result is a very entertaining and well-made film . Bill Murray is outstanding as Bob Harris ; knowing how to be comedic without ever breaking character . I can now see why he won a Golden Globe for his performance and am happy that he has also received an Academy Award nomination ( which he really deserves , I think ) . Scarlett Johansson is an absolute joy to watch in her portrayal of the sweet and confused Charlotte . And even though we may not see much of him in the film , I must say that Giovanni Ribisi does a great job as being Charlotte's husband who appears to be more in love with his work than her .
The movie is extremely well-directed and well-written by Sofia Coppola . What stands out especially the writing , as the conversations flow and sound real , and do not appear artificial to our ears . Coppola is great at making us see these characters as real human beings rather than fictional film characters . She really establishes what she wants in her film and how she plans to achieve it . I also love how she chose Japan as the setting for this movie , as it is very easy for one to feel lost as the characters do .
Not only is the film a great viewing , but the DVD package is quite impressive as well . It may not have as many bells and whistles as most DVDs do , but it really doesn't need all of that ( however , I would've liked a commentary track with Coppola and Murray ) . Extras included are a Behind-the-Scenes documentary , extended and deleted scenes , a conversation with Bill Murray and Sofia Coppola featurette , a music video and more . The best feature is an extended scene of Bob's appearance on an over-the-top Japanese talk show . It is outrageously hilarious , and I encourage everybody to check it out as soon as the movie is over . A downfall of the DVD is the annoying commercials at the beginning that you cannot skip , but have to fast-forward the whole thing if you desire to go straight to the menu . I thought we were beyond this once we went from VHS to DVDs . Apparently , I was wrong . Still , not a shady DVD package , if you want my honest opinion .
Lost in Translation is a superbly done film filled with humor and a number of profound little moments . The movie is well-directed , well-written , and well-acted . There's always a chance of you not liking the movie , but that's not a dangerous chance to take . If you let hype consume you , then you will most likely be disappointed . If you're willing to be open-minded and not make any judgments until the end credits , then the chances of you enjoying the film increases greatly . A very nice and subtle movie that has more to it than what the eye simply sees . - Michael Crane
097 4 Could this possibly be a bad movie ?
No it could not .
Bad movies do not inspire the kind of love that those who love it ( including critics and the most discerning filmgoers ) have for it . Nor do they - at the same time - inspire the negative feelings that others have for it .
What it is , is a highly personal movie , a film that's different from what some people expect . And what a rare thing that is .
I know that connections can get you a lot in the Hollywood film industry . But what connections can't get you is talent . Sofia Coppola has that in spades . And one of the most fascinating things is that it's a very feminine talent , very unlike that of her father . The world of The Virgin Suicides and Lost in Translation is certainly not that of her Dad . It is at the opposite extreme from his occasional bombasticism and operatic sweep .
Coppola is a miniaturist . A painter of emotions . Like 21 Grams although in an entirely different way , this is a film that takes effort on your part . It's a movie for people who can understand genuine emotion instead of the ersatz and fake feeling that we're usually spoon fed . COmpare it with Eric Rohmer , if you know who he is . Murray and Johansson are both superb . Lance Acord's cinematography does miracles on a low budget .
It's funny about Tokyo , and its characters , but also loving . There isn't any meanness in it .
I loved the scene where Bob let his morals slip and woke up wondering what had happened . I loved being able to laugh at that , and also knowing that it was - in a small way - heartbreaking . And yet , she has no reason for her heart to ache . It does anyway . And that's how life is .
For those who bring up prejudice issues , I say get a life AND a reality check . Bill Murray is over six foot tall . As someone who has been to Asia I can tell you that , yes he is going to tower over a lift full of average height Japanese . He towers over Sofia Coppola in the interview on the DVD . That's hardly being prejudiced against Sofia Coppola .
This is a film for grown-ups , in a movie-going world with all too few such films . Looking at some of these reviews it seems there are all to few grown-ups too , whatever their chronological age .
099 4 Like this film needs another review . . .
Everything good about this film has already been stated elsewhere , so I guess this is for the people who read these reviews trying to decide whether to buy / see / rent it or not and read the many negative reviews :
This film is not for ' middle america ' , and was never meant to be . It requires some experience on the viewer's part to be appreciated fully ; experience with Life and Love in general that you probably don't have yet if you're 17 , or if you think ' good ' movies should play out like escapist , ham-fisted fairy tales .
The comments about the film being being racist , pointless , boring , not showing more of Tokyo / Japan completely miss the point of this gem . Where so many Hollywood films rely on overblown writing , this film tries , and succeeds I thought , to capture real people with real emotions , as opposed to relying on cheap , unrealistic plot elements to make their points . Somehow , this film trusts the audience to pick up on the mental lives of the two protagonists without relying on the usual Hollywood signifiers of Guns , Sex , and Violence . If you relate better to Guns , Sex and Violence , great , but then this film ain't for you . I can understand that some people can't relate to the emotions in the film , fair enough ; I guess you've either ' been there ' or you haven't , but at least accept the fact that a lot of people liked this film for some very valid reasons .
( I especially liked the arrogant fool of a negative reviewer who introduced himself : I'm in the industry , I know film . . . Yeah , I'm a surfer so I know Marine Biology . . . that's logic at work right there . I'm disappointed by a lot of reviews on Amazon in general : Oh you liked it ? Well you suck ! haha . Come on : If you don't like something , either shut up or make an intelligent point as to why , otherwise you're just wasting everybody's time )
I think what really made the film a standout for me was the synthesis of american film-making professionalism and european sensitivity to how people actually live and think . ( Some reviews have compared the film to American Beauty , but even that film , despite some great moments , relied on a violent death and a gay Nazi to spice things up . Realistic plot elements ? ! maybe in your world , not mine . . . ) . It's not easy to sell a film like this , especially in the US , where movie-goers are , on one hand , very sophisticated in their views on the technical aspects of film-making , but very crude as to what constitutes the emotions of Real People . Movies are sold on Arch-types , black-and-white , Good vs Evil , with a nice resolution at the end . If you think the latest Vin Diesel revenge-fantasy B movie captures your emotions accurately , skip this film .
On the other hand , if you're open to watching a beautifully told story , I recommend this film 100% .
PS I do agree that the hype for this film can be distracting . I think a lot of reviewers took their anger over all the publicity out on the film itself . This is not fair , and you're missing out if you let that decide for you .
( I made that same mistake in regards to the English Patient and The Unbearable Lightness of Being , both which I thought were incredibly overblown , pompous and boring . I honestly hated those films , but would probably have hated them less if I weren't told again and again how amazing I had better think they were )
100 4 The reason why many people panned this movie in their Amazon review is the same reason why a movie like National Treasure does so well at the box office : namely that most people are pretty dumb , and unless a movie has explosions , car chases and naked chicks writhing around to bad rap music , they just can't understand or get into it . Or if they're female they don't get the movie unless it has a bunch of overblown , hard-to-believe sappy romance . Don't get me wrong , every once in awhile I like to watch a brainless action movie too , or ( even more seldom ) a sappy romance , but most of the time I like my movies smart , and Lost in Translation is a smart movie . So it's really not surprising many people didn't like it .
Most of the people who wrote positive reviews did get it : this movie isn't about people going somewhere , or accomplishing something . It's a snapshot of a few days in the lives of two very different people who are lonely , not only because they are in a very alien culture but because they are at crisis points in their lives , and they searching for human connection . I won't waste my time talking about people's allegations that the younger girl-older man thing was creepy or that it was immoral for Bill Murray's character and Scarlett Johannsen's character to spend time together because both characters are married . All I have to say about that is : it's the 21st century , y'all , and it's time to grow up . I thought this was a very intelligent , sensitive portrait of two people who the outside world would view as successful but who feel very lost and alone . Their relationship wasn't about sex or unrealistic sappy romance ( the two things most movie romances are based on ) , but about two minds meeting and two people finding out they aren't as different from other people as they had thought . I don't know , maybe the movie is hard to understand if you've lived a completely straight-line , unexamined , unadventurous life . But I went through a crisis similar to the one experienced by Scarlett Johannsen's character when I was about her age , so I could totally understand where her character was coming from . I have also traveled overseas ( including to Japan ) so I understand what it's like to feel lost in a foreign culture , so far from your home . Since most Americans , especially those in the Midwest , have never been farther than 300 miles from Columbus or Grand Rapids or Milwaukee or wherever , I imagine the whole idea of foreign travel is a mystery to them . But anyway . This is a great movie , it makes you think and it stays with you long after you've seen it . Definitely worth watching , but you won't get much out of it unless your I.Q . is higher than your body temperature .
101 4 Someone compared this movie's last scene to a lyric in a pop song , and not kindly , because it is elusive and allusive enough that the viewer / listener has to fill in the gaps . Do you know what they call spare writing where the reader has to fill in the gaps ? They call it poetry . I wonder how many who dislike Lost in Translation actually like poetry of any kind .
In just a few short lines a poem can move you as powerfully as any novel . The most small-scale work of art , perfectly honed can penetrate deeply . But you do have to make an effort yourself to fill in the spaces .
Lost in Translation is beautiful for the same reason a haiku by Bashu is beautiful . And has a similar mood .
The year's first day
thoughts and loneliness ;
the autumn dusk is here .
102 4 Lost in translation is a great piece of work depicting a simple plot layered over Japan . Two Americans find each other and create a friendship , although it may not have lasted long , it stays with them forever . For a lot of people this movie is either a hit or a miss , some people hate Japan , some people hate love stories but I loved it for its simplicity in expressing the sometimes miss understood emotion of love . Sofia Coppola well deserved the Oscar for best original screen play and personally , and Bill Murray should have won the Oscar for best actor . I urge you to see this movie even if you don't like romances , it gives you a new perspective on how frail but beautiful relationships should and can be .
105 4 I am not certain how to put it - - sure , there's not much of a plot if plot is what you are looking for , and sure , you are bound to be offended by some jokes if you are so PC you don't have any sense of humor left in you ( and if you can't see that right next to the funny things ANY westerner would notice and comment on - - let's not be hypocritical here - - there are plenty of parts in the movie that evoke the beauty of the country and its inhabitants ) .
If what you are looking for is something that feels like life , that's both hilarious and touching , and makes you think about relationships , and choices in life ; if what you are interested in is a movie with perfect actors that have unbelievable chemistry between them , and a director who makes you feel as if YOU are the one in Japan , then this is the movie for you . Clearly , one of the best films I have seen in a long time .
106 4 This review is from :
Lost in Translation ( DVD )
This movie is really lovely - if you're expecting Bill Murray via SNL this ain't it ! It's very subtle , atmospheric and lovely . Why did so many people expect a big-budget piece of garbage that THE US seems to gobble up ? Maybe it's not everyone's ideal , but it's so enjoyable . The flower arranging scene , the Roxy Music moment , and especially the end . We're not supposed to know what he said to her .
107 4 This movie is really lovely - if you're expecting Bill Murray via SNL this ain't it ! It's very subtle , atmospheric and lovely . Why did so many people expect a big-budget piece of garbage that THE US seems to gobble up ? Maybe it's not everyone's ideal , but it's so enjoyable . The flower arranging scene , the Roxy Music moment , and especially the end . We're not supposed to know what he said to her .
108 4 A box office special effects hit it is not . Hollywood , however needs more human films like this . These stories about the interplay between different people , who may only meet for but a short time in their life , and may be world's apart age-wise , are important . Basically , Bill Murray plays a washed-up actor who decides to take a commercial gig in Japan , pending his next role . Murray feels like a fish out of water down there , and ponders returning early until he meets an American girl , brilliantly played by Scarlett Johansen , who feels the same as him . Her recent husband , played by Giovanni Ribissi , tends to neglect her alot as he's working on his own career as a photographer . Inevitably Murray and Johansen become friends and explore Japan together . If you like independent films , and you can be patient , this film is worth the trip .
110 4 I just saw Lost in Translation for the first time today and I was impressed . However , in view of the many super-negative reviews , I should clearly state that the movie came together in the final minute or two . Had I not watched it to the end , I would not have has as positive reaction . Indeed , the bulk of this movie is sheer boredom . The writer and director want us to experience being in a lonely place ( and boy do they suceed ! ) .
Haven't you ever spent a week one day , or a month one week , or a day one hour in a place where you just didn't fit in ? Whether it be at the height of your career or as a child in a room full of adults , there is a real sense of loneliness when you realize that you are truly and profoundly all alone in a crowd ; no one to relate to , nothing to entertain you , nothing to distract you , and you don't have the power to get up and leave ; you're stuck ! I know that I can think of a number of times that has happened to me and there is a lonliness and sadness unique to such an experience . Now think of similar settings on whose several occassions , there WAS someone who , for that otherwise interminable moment in time , was someone who made the experience turn into an manageable one . It wasn't any love at first sight experience , it wasn't a let's exchange phone numbers ( or even just Christmas cards ) experience , and certainly not a let's do this again experience . It was a place you never should have been but with someone who made the experience bearable . That's what I saw in Lost in Translation . Moments like that come and then they are gone . Lost in Translation is a tribute to all the misplaced persons who found each other briefly and then moved on . It is a beautiful movie with exactly the right ending . Share the boredom but share the blessing as well .
111 4 The deserving winner of the Best Original Screenplay , this film is unlike almost every American film of the past decade . Sharing more in common with the films of Jean-Luc Godard or Wong Kar-Wai , Lost in Translation marches to its own beat . And Bill Murrary has never revealed his soul more openly . A true gem .
112 4 The title says it all . I read multiple reviews of Lost in Translation and hesitated . . . do I want to invest an hour and a half of my life into this film ?
Finally , I had a quiet few moments , an opportunity presented itself and I decided to give it a shot .
I can understand the mixed reviews . If you are expecting a movie that ties up any sort of loose ends or follows a plot , you aren't going to like it . If you are expecting Bill Murray to be hilarious , you might want to look into one of his classic films . Looking for pure entertainment and story ? You probably won't enjoy the movie .
This is a piece that reveals those icky insecurities and quirks that we all carry and transfer to our relationships . Any human interactions are subject to our own filters and life is a series of our interacting filters meshing or rejecting , not unlike differing languages and customs . All the details of life are subject to translation or interpretation and exactly what the movie is about - - the miscommunication small and large that guide us , govern us and control us .
The characters are lost , emotionally , as they try to figure out what they are looking for in life , in careers , in the bottom of booze bottles and in other people . Several reviews mentioned feeling depressed after watching the film . Possible , but depends on whether or not you are in that cycle - - the search without knowing what you search for .
Great acting . Deep characterization . Interesting theme . A study of humanity in all its complexity . Looking for pure , simple entertainment ? Look elsewhere .
113 4 I do not profess to know what the intended message of this film was meant to be , nor do I care . I will tell you what the film illustrated for me - the feeling of being alone , despite ( or perhaps because of ) the nearby maddening crowd . And it is a funny film ; not stupid slapstick comedy , but genuinely funny in a realistic way . Several scenes left me smiling about them for days .
Some viewers seem to have been surprised by the quality of Bill Murray's performance here . While I do agree he was very convincing , I was not particularly surprised . His character in this film actually seems to me as being similar to many of his other on-screen characters , only much more melancholy . I attribute this to his maturing age , and maturing talent .
And I will go ahead and heap on some more praise for Scarlett Johansson . She has a low-key way about her , which I think is rare for such a young actress . This kind of quiet dignity lends more credibility to her performances . That said , her physical resemblance to Jodie Sweetin is striking . When I first saw Ms . Johansson in The Horse Whisperer , I could have sworn it was Stephanie Tanner from Full House .
Given the opportunity , I would happily watch this film again . For me , that is the mark of quality and creativity . I rarely watch any movie a second time .
114 4 In my opinion , ' Lost in Translation ' was a movie that will be difficult for me to forget , due to the acting of Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson . This movie is the best work that the vastly underrated Mr Murray has done since Groundhog's Day , and I feel that Ms Johansson has a brilliant career ahead of her . True , in some ways this is a movie Seinfeld , a movie about nothing : two lonely people meet in a foreign city where neither of them speaks the language , both of them are having problems within their respective marriages . Murray's marriage is obviously in trouble , and Johansson's is eventually going to need CPR . They spend some time together , nothing really seems to happen , except that it becomes clear to the viewer that they are indeed that overworked word : soulmates .
Sophia Cappola wisely resisted the temptation to allow these two to consumate their relationship , which would have changed the entire dynamic of the film . When they finally fell onto a bed , they ended up sleeping , with Murray tenderly holding Johansson's foot . To sleep in the presence of another person , and in this case someone you hardly know , is a brave act , an act of trust ( thank you , Dianah Gabaldon , for pointing this fact out in your wonderful book Outlander , which is also the story of two soulmates ) . At the end of the film , Murray's character seems to have awakened from a long sleep , which is a life where he has spent years just going through the motions . What will happen to the character when he leaves Japan is pure conjecture on the part of the viewer : I like to think he went home and told his wife that they needed to put their marriage on the right track , and was willing to live with the consequences if she failed to understand him .
I also particularly enjoyed the sequence at the beginning of the movie where Murray , looking like a burnt-out case , was filming the liquor commercial . A once big action star , his career had fallen so low that he was reduced to making commercials abroad . That he had virtually checked out of his life was evident , reinforced by him fleeing the hotel bar when he was recognized by two American fans . IMO it is a shame that Murray did not win an Oscar for this subtle performance . Ms Johansson turned in an intelligent performance of an intelligent young woman who seemed to have married too soon , and to someone who did not appear to be her intellectual equal , a young man superficial enough to be dazzled by a pretty air-head . It is difficult for me to believe that she was not nominated for an Oscar for either ' Lost in Translation ' or ' The Girl with the Pearl Earring . ' I am confident her day will come !
116 4 Pulling up this product to post my review I found myself a little shocked at the very low overall rating this film has received . 148 three-star reviews ? 227 two-star reviews ? 572 one-star reviews ? Really ? I can't help but wonder how this marvelous film can receive such little love . Sure , it has 728 five-star reviews ( 729 if you count mine ) but the fact that it has nearly 1,000 mediocre-to-bad ratings is shocking to me , in a bad way . How could people ` not get ' this movie ? I think that reviewer Greg Frayser was right ; people just ` don't get it ' .
That is sad , because what Sophia Coppola has done here is create and deliver a touching and poignant look at humanity at its purest , which is something we rarely see today .
A lot of times we see raw and honest portrayals of the dark side of humanity when we look at intelligent cinema . All too often our own realistic brutality is splashed across the screen , bringing us closer to our very own demons . I applaud filmmakers brave enough to ascertain the notion that honesty is the best policy , willing to expose us for who we are without a care for the audience reaction . This pays off extremely well for some , and I have to admit that I have always gravitated towards the darker corners of the cinematic experience . I feel the need though , especially after seeing all the negative response to this film , to single out Coppola for doing the exact opposite . Instead of focusing on the parts of us we want to hide from , Coppola exposes the purity that is in most of us ; giving us a breath of fresh air in a society fixated on clichés and fantastical distortions of reality . ` Lost in Translation ' is a beautiful and honest account of two people who , simply put , fill and need within one another .
Both Bob and Charlotte are in a strange place , both literally and figuratively . They are both in Tokyo , so there's the ` literal ' strange place , but they are also both in a difficult and confusing emotional state within their own lives . Bob , an actor , is lost in his own aspirations . He isn't sure why he does what he does . He seems almost apathetic , but it's not apathy that is slowly killing him ; it's an emptiness he cannot quite understand . Charlotte , who is traveling with her husband ( who is working ) , is just as lost . Her marriage is new yet feeling tired and her husband's friends and personality make her feel out of place . When you are already empty and alone then strange places can feel like prisons as apposed to adventures . Both Bob and Charlotte find themselves resenting the absurdity of their surroundings because , in their state , everything is void of meaning .
But by chance they meet , and they bond , and soon they find that there is purpose .
Sophia Coppola is a personal favorite of mine . She has only made three films so far but all three have been extremely thought-provoking and intelligent , and wildly creative . I love her style , which is unique and visionary . The word auteur is not thrown around carelessly , but I would toss that word in her direction because she has proven with just three movies to have her own distinct and poignant vision .
And the way she works with actors is a dream !
Bill Murray is a great comedian , one who I adore in nearly everything . This performance will go down in history as his greatest achievement . I only wish this had netted him the Oscar ( much better than Penn's hammy victory ) for his performance is so rich with meaning and depth . He really understood how to use his unique brand of deadpan humor to create a man who is very real and very personable . Don't even get me started on Scarlett Johansson's lack of an Oscar nomination here , for in my opinion she gave THE PERFORMANCE OF 2003 . She matches Murray scene for scene , but the natural flourishes she adds to her scenes elevate her slightly above him in my opinion . Just watch the way she adds a flinch or a chuckle here and there , adding color and individuality to such a beautifully fleshed out character .
There are few films that can reach this level of earnest beauty . One recent film that comes very close is ` Once ' . You walk away feeling this inner warmth and the only word I can use to describe it is ` pure ' ; ` Lost in Translation ' is very , very pure .
117 4 Bill Murray gives perhaps his most understated , and sensitive performance to date in this near-perfect gem of a movie , and Scarlett Johansson showed a poise way beyond her age at the time this pic was made . The chemistry between the two leads is wonderful , and Sofia Coppola's deft direction of her screenplay is equally dynamic . She ( Coppola ) gives a fresh twist to what might have been just another forgettable , May-December romance , and weaves it into a searingly funny , extremely moving , and pretty damn near cliche-free character study . What makes this film work so well is that though these two very different , obviously lonely people , seem entirely meant for one another they manage to avoid doing the expected , and in the process create a much more poignant and compelling statement about love than might have been if the story had ended differently .
Still , one can't help wondering what Bob whispered to Charlotte before they parted . . . .
118 4 I'm sorry but what's the big deal here ? Lots of dead spots . The academy awards nominations were what attracted me to rent this . Bill Murray is amusing as a lonely 50 something man far from his comfort zone . Scarlett Johansson is cute & pulls off being older than her 18 years . She is also lonely in Tokyo . They find each other , bond & have some adventures in the big city . It doesn't become sexual which is good . Their affection for each other is genuine & their parting is a nice tender moment . The real star of this movie is Tokyo .
119 4 THEY SHOULD WATCH THIS MOVIE ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Actually , it didn't put me to sleep - parts of the soundtrack were too noisy , and I was too hyped by my SHOCK that this mediocre movie has received such a plethora of critical praise .
Like Johanssen's character , I did chuckle at most of what Murray said . But I was almost immediately struck by the patronizing attitude of the movie toward people of another culture , and I'm a middle-of-the-road type person , not an extreme PC type .
There is nothing at all special about this movie .
120 4 Surprisingly enough you can love this movie , without being an indie film person . It is ( shocker ! ) possible to be effected by a movie just because you can relate to it . Not because magazines give it good reviews or what your friends think and quite obviously not what the people on Amazon think . Yes , it's true that most people my age ( 15 ) believe that a movie is good if
a ) someone / something explodes
b ) sex
c ) is a senseless romantic comedy
Anyone who has ever felt lost or lonely can relate and enjoy this visually stunning movie . With Bill Murray in the lead he gives a truly Oscar worthy performance . As an aging actor who is more than a little sarcastic yet not beyond looking for human connection . In a city ( Tokyo ) he knows nothing about . That's where Scarlett comes in as a young , Yale graduate who's photographer husband practically ignores her . Both are in a foreign city , exacerbating their feelings of isolation and really the question of ; what makes life worth living if it's so hard ? does it get any easier ?
They spend day after day with each other learning about Tokyo and the culture , but more importantly learning about each other and realizing that connection is not so hard with the right person . Although they know it cannot last as they both have to move on with their lives .
Yet the point of that movie is that although their relationship doesnt last forever , it doesnt mean it effects us any less . Sometimes such limitations make them even more important and the memory , the bridge lasts forever . Also , alleviating the feeling of loneliness as you now know that there is someone in the world that understands . The conclusion is excellent and makes that point .
What makes the movie so beautiful is that they have this relationship , beyond friendship but never sexual . When they're lying in bed , talking about life , you get the feeling of profound trust and mutual love . Something that most of us would be lucky to experience in our lifetime .
121 4 This movie is so good . Two Americans stuck in Japan . Charlotte ( Johansson ) is with her photographer-husband ( Giovanni Ribisi ) who is constantly working and leaving Charlotte in their luxury hotel . She's always byherself and wondering when he'll return , wherever it is he is working . Meanwhile aging actor , Bob Harris ( Murray ) , is doing promos for a Japanese Whiskey . Frustrated with the turn his career has taken , he is suffering from sleepless nights like Charlotte . Charlotte , while alone in her hotel room , contemplates life and what she is meant to be doing with hers . One night the Bob and Charlotte meet at the hotel bar where there is an instant chemstry between them . After a while Bob and Charlotte become friends and have deep conversations about life . The two have great chemsitry on screen . Though it may be slow for some people , you can't help but wonder what will happen next . You cuold not have picked a better pair for this film . Murray is excellent is this , unexpected , dramatic role . Well written and directed by Sofia Coppla , the first woman to be nominated for an Oscar for directing . This film proves you don't have to spend millions of millions of dollars on speical effects to be a great film . Well done film by all . Hopefully Murray will impress us with another dramatic role soon !
123 4 The best movie I have seen in ages . Though many people found it over their heads and missed most of the humor and didn't see how truly dazzling the story is . Going beyond the cliched older man / younger woman relationship , Lost in Translation has a great father / daughter type relationship that shows how anyone can get lost .
124 4 After seeing Lost in Translation , my previous opinion that Bill Murray is the funniest man alive was supported . He has been in some of my favorite movies . . . including this one .
125 4 Lost in Translation takes aim at its viewers at a visceral level . It's subtlety seems to have been lost on some viewers ; there is so much richness in the film if one is willing to take in its feeling rather than looking for a well-defined and action-packed plot line . This is not a film that can easily by explained or fully appreciated after just one viewing .
As to accusations of racism in the film - I think that's pure , unadultrated bunk . One reviewer mentioned a scene with Bill Murray surrounded by a number of much-shorter Japanese folks as being racist . What if that scene was instead meant to highlight Bill Murray's character's displacement and awkwardness ? To me , that's what that scene accomplished . It's all a matter of perspective , I suppose .
126 4 I am confused by the 3 star rating amazon.com customers have given Lost in Translation ( 3 stars as of 2 / 27 / 04 ) . I have spoken to many individuals regarding this movie and have found no one who described it as anything less than amazing . In fact , many have seen the movie more than once in order to continue their exploration of Ms . Coppola's fantastic characters . The plot of the movie is very simple ; this does not equate boring . The relationship between Bob and Charlotte is not a traditional Hollywood romance but stands above the solely physical interraction seen in many movies . These characters are in fact lost and find comfort in their foreign surroundings through one another . Please see this movie . Do not expect fisticuffs or passionate love scenes . Expect an honest portrayal of loneliness and the true comfort one can find through contact with another in a like situation . Again , please see this movie . 5 stars is not enough .
127 4 I am writing this review mostly in response to those who say it is boring and pointless . Frankly , if a movie-watcher is looking for car crashes , watch Speed . Lost in Translation is a movie that I might describe as dreamlike realism . It is a quiet film set in a noisy city .
Bill Murray plays a ' 70s action movie star who is Tokyo to film a commercial for whiskey . In the early film , he undergoes an experience not unlike sensory deprivation . He drinks alone in a bar listening to bad karaoke . His commercial director speaks for twenty animated seconds and his translator gives him three words of meaningless direction . He is an ocean away from a family that has forgotten him . He is numb . He is alone .
Scarlett Johansson plays the young wife of a hipster photographer who is forced to stay in the hotel during her husband's photo shoots around the country . She listens to self-help tapes in her hotel room . She swims alone in the large hotel pool .
The film is about how these two souls that are floating aimlessly and blindly in our ultra-modern world connect in a way we don't usually see on film . Even though they must be at least thirty years apart in age ( a fact the director Sofia Coppola uses to accent the improbability of the events ) , they form a bond that begins perhaps because they understand each other's pain . But how it develops is what makes this movie so special .
In a world where all of us probably feel alone in some way despite all the technology that connects us and supposedly makes our lives easier , we can root for these two lost souls to find each other and with that , find happiness .
The cinematography and the direction is breathtaking also . The scenes are never rushed , and , along with the ethereal music , this gives the film its dreamlike quality . The scene where Scarlett Johansson's character takes a sightseeing trip by herself was an especially powerful one for me .
Overall , I can't say enough good things about this film . It was the best movie I've seen in a long time . Just don't watch it expecting Guy Ritchie to have done the editing and the Wachowski brothers to have choreographed the fight scenes .
128 4 Lost in Translation is a dreamy , mellow film that relies almost exclusively on visuals and music to get it's points across . The minimal dialouge sprinkled throughout is rarely as important as the images unfolding on the screen . The pace moves at a gloomy crawl , a few instances of tasteful comedy keeping the mood from becoming too heavy ( it should be noted that Billy is mostly poking fun at himself , not the Japanese people . ) The two main characters are kept apart for most of film , with Sophia wisely choosing to dwell on them when their alone both literally and metaphorically ; this intrusion of their privacy allowing the viewer to really submerge themselves in the characters'lives for better or for worst . As Bob and Charlotte cross paths more and more fequently the movie builds with understated urgency , until the film springs to life midway through when they finally come together for a night on the town in a fast paced sequence of fun colorful adventures .
The film is never this lively or hopeful again , as the final moments gradually develop a painful almost dread quality to them as Bob and Charlotte are faced with the realization that this retreat from their misery can't last forever . Oddly enough , the moving conclusion ends up being a bittersweet triumph , hinting at a new found strength in the characters . Sophia makes good use of both the actors and the beautiful urban setting while showing an excellent understanding for almost pure visual storytelling . Tokyo simply looks beautiful as she allows the camera to drone on the lovely details of the city and it's citizens ; mostly through the eyes of an aimlessly wandering Charlotte . After watching the film , one feels as if they know the city and the hotel as well as the characters . However , it's really the performances that carry the film .
Bill and Scarlett prove to be more than up to the task of almost wordless acting . Though his weathered face is mostly somber and blank , Bill's soulful eyes stare with a profound unrest and longing , the slightest gesture conveying pages of depth and emotion that probably wasn't in the script . A very mature Scarlett does much of her acting with subtle looks of vaguely masked dis-satisfaction and desperate unrest ; often appearing to be completely helpless and vunerable to the depression she's sunk into . Her and Bill's characters might as well be the same age as both seem to be feeling the same thing . When they do interact , the scenes are filled with incredibly sincere subtle gestures that reflect warm fondness and understanding if not an all out unspoken attraction . It's this geniune warmth that makes the film so romantic and the earlier melancholy all the more worthwhile . In his small role , Ribisi is also enjoyable as Scarlett's well meaning but clueless husband . Some find it difficult to empathize with the characters and the irony of their situation ( apparently rich and depressed ) , yet anyone who's ever felt alone ( see : everybody ) should not have trouble relating .
DVD Notes-A short featurette with Sophia and Bill is the most useful and watchable . There is sadly no commentary , and the deleted scenes add nothing , while the Music Video is kind of meh . The menu screen is beautiful however .
129 4 The last time , at least that I'm aware of , that Bill Murray tried serious acting was in The Razor's Edge . I thought it was a good film , but he was excoriated by most critics and fans thinking they were coming to see a standard Bill Murray vehicle . Fortunately , this time around he has received richly deserved accolades for his performance .
Lost in Translation essentially follows Bob Harris ( Murray ) and Charlotte ( Scarlett Johansson ) , as they both find themselves lost and adrift in Japan . Bob is a fading action star , who apparently is past his heyday and takes a job promoting a Japanese liquor for $2 million . Little hints along the way indicate he probably could use the money . It appears he has been appearing in plays and probably making decent but not necessarily great money . His wife is on a remodeling binge , which seems to hint at the fact that the big paycheck is something she has looked forward to . But Bob is more troubled by his life in general than by financial matters . He feels disconnected from his wife and children and can't seem to find a way to re-connect with them . He's in the midst of a midlife crisis and has no idea what to do about except withdraw into himself .
Charlotte is in somewhat similar straits . She is questioning her two-year marriage to a photographer who has brought her along to Japan for a shoot but he is gone much of the time . She feels no connection to her husband and , worse , doesn't know what she is supposed to do with her life .
Bob and she eventually meet and become friends . soul mates in fact , and writer / director Sophia Coppola wisely avoids what nearly any other writer and director would have done with the relationship-throw them in bed together . Instead the two develop a far more intimate relationship as they wander Tokyo and face an impending separation when Bob must return to America .
This is very much a thinking person's film . There's no real action ( well , at one point they are chased out of a bar by a bartender toting some kind of weird gun ) but you remain engrossed . The two leads give incredibly nuanced performances . Murray in particular is brilliant in his restraint , as on more than a few occasions he has the opportunity to revert to his standard goofy / funny guy act and doesn't .
This is one of the best films I have seen in the past year . I realize its not for everyone , some will consider it too slow or lacking in plot development , but they obviously will have missed the fact that sometimes a film can just be about how lost we feel in life .
130 4 This is such a touching movie . And its soundtrack is two thumbs up as well . I went to see the movie with very high expectations , due to the popular acclaim it has received , and now I think it even surpasses all of that . Actually , I think this unique movie is far beyond any praise or criticism , that doesn't really matter at the end of the day , not even the several Golden Globes it won and its 4 Oscars nominations ( it won one ) , its tremendous and forever lasting things are its humanity , its profound emotions , its platonic desires ( so common among us humans ) , and its immense love for life despite the dislocation , frustration , disappointment , and loneliness of Bob and Charlotte ( the main characters in the movie , majestically played by Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson ) . The movie is characterized by a minimalist , eerie , dream-like ambient which is perfectly conveyed by the songs on the soundtrack . More than anything , the movie and its music are an emotional and powerful portrayal of the feelings and views about life of many of us here in this world . The soundtrack has several breathtaking songs , like My Bloody Valentine's Sometimes , Death In Vegas ' Girls , and Jesus Mary Chain's Just Like Honey . Some excellent songs in the soundtrack are sadly too short , this jewel of a movie is not long enough either .
Obviously , judging by the other reviews here , some people ( for whatever reason ) are not able to understand the artistry and purpose of the film , that's OK , we are all different . What I find ridiculous , however , is those that easily say the movie is pointless , plotless , senseless , too slow , and so on . It is actually pointless and senseless to say that . Perhaps some people don't have the right state of mind to get the subtle plot of the movie , or are simply not willing to do so . Of course it is entertainment after all , yes , but I wonder if only extra sensible , very emotional , introspective , and also maybe romantic people can fully appreciate the intent writer and director Sofia Coppola had for this movie , for its soundtrack , and for its two beautiful main characters . An unforgettable piece of art , both visually and sonically , but mostly spiritually .
131 4 This production reminds me of the French cinema and the movies by the Swedish director Ingmar Bergman , the action is slow and you get time to really look at the expressions of the characters and ponder what their thoughts are . I like typical American movies , but I also enjoy other types of creations when they are of good quality . At first I was a little weary about watching this movie because I thought there was a lot of hype created by the fact that the director , Sophia Coppola , is the daughter of Francis Ford Coppola . This is not the first time the legendary director shows his fatherly support either ; Francis Ford Coppola was thrown into the spotlight of critics when he selected his daughter for a role in The Godfather III . Luckily , I can say that the hype was right ! This movie is everything it promises to be and more .
Bob Harris ( Bill Murray ) is a famous actor in the decline of his career ; he ends up in Tokyo filming a commercial for Suntory whisky in exchange for the enticing sum of two million dollars . Right from his arrival in Japan the clash of cultures is apparent . Bob feels out of place , is too tall , does not understand the language , is confused by the different cultural uses , feels lonely , is having a midlife crisis , is unsure about his relationship with his wife ; Bob is . . . Lost in Translation . Until he finds Charlotte ( Scarlett Johansson ) , who is in Tokyo with her husband and having a hard time dealing with staying alone in the hotel while her husband goes to work as a photographer . After getting acquainted in the bar of the hotel on a sleepless night , Bob and Charlotte begin a very interesting and complex friendship .
The mood of the movie may be depressing at times , and Coppola tried to alleviate this in certain way by inserting humorous situations . I do not think this is a comedy though , as it has been categorized in some award shows . The performances of both Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson are extraordinary and they deserve each and every one of the nominations and awards won . I was especially awed by the discovery of this young actress , who can portray with extreme ability and versatility two very different roles : this one and the one in Girl with a Pearl Earring . Overall , this is a movie that I would recommend to all those people that would not be bothered by a slow development of the story . If you belong in this category it is better to stay away , if not . . . go for it !
132 4 I had read many reviews for this movie and most of them give me a positive grasp Lost in Translation film . My very good friend asked me to come with her to see this movie . We went to cinema and both of us laughed a lot during the movie .
This movie tells about american actor Harris ( Bill Murray ) who leaves to Japan in where he make so advertisments . Charlotte ( Scarlett Johansson ) is a young philosophy student whose husband works on Japan as ptotographer .
Two sleepless people meets each other and find a special mental connection between their worlds . They dance , song Karaoke and talk together . Murray plays his part very well and shows that he can also act a serious man role ( normally he plays comedy roles ) .
Johansson is only a 19 year old woman but she'll be a great future if she can pick as good roles as this movie .
The most of this movie laughts come situations when Harris listen to interrupt from Japanese to English and notice that lot of meanings has lost in translation . If you understand Japanese language , you'll get a lot of more this movie .
133 4 This film has been somewhat misadvertised in order to get mainstream audiences into the theatre and into the movie stores , and many of the ads try to stamp this movie as a Bill Murray Comedy . If you rent or buy this DVD with the intention of viewing What About Bob in Japan you will surely be dissapointed . Lost in Translation is a dramatic and realistic take on loneliness and the brief yet powerful connections we can make in unexpected moments of our lives . It is not a manipulative film ; rather , the camera will sit in on a scene and let you eavesdrop on these people when they are alone or with others . The film asks you to become invested enough to pay attention to everything , from facial expressions , to character psychology , to the kaleidiscope of scenes and situations , to the symbolism of the dialogue . This is a very SUBTLE film , and requires the utmost attention and respect when viewing . BUT-if you can give it that respect and investment , you will walk away completely rewarded and satisfied , as this is true movie making of the highest order . The emotions , the colors , the cinematography , the moody music , the ebb and flow vibe of the film itself . And finally , the comedy : yes , there is comedy , and it is funny , but please be forewarned that it takes a second seat to the characters and the atmosphere . All of this mixed together with the FANTASTIC acting of Bill Murray and Scarlett Johanson ( watch her facial expressions at all times ) , and you have a film that is more an experience than a movie . Just remember : although this film is incredible , it cannot be watched in every situation . You will most likely not enjoy the movie if ( a ) you invite a bunch of friends over to drink and watch a funny film , or ( b ) you throw it in the player because there's nothing else to do and only half pay attention to it . The ideal way to view a film as subtle and atmospheric as this is to watch it with someone you care about or with people whom you know are patient enough to make the investment . Make sure there are no distractions around , sit back , dim the lights , and watch this film with unexpecting eyes .
NOTE : DVD extras are okay ; watch Lost on Location which is simply a home video of the day-by-day shooting and shows Bill Murray being Bill Murray behind the scenes-which is a really good thing .
134 4 This movie perfectly captures the feeling of being lost in another country , with nothing to ground you . I spent 4 years teaching English in Japan , and this is the first movie I've ever seen that conveys what it's like to live there - - without condescension and without snickering . ( And I lived out in the countryside , which still retains more traditions than Tokyo . ) The movie manages to capture the soul of Japan on screen in all its oddness , without ever making fun . There it all is : the pachinko parlors , the giant video screens , the exercise machines that talk to you , the karaoke boxes , and it all comes across as merely different , as Japan's unique adaptation of what it learned from the West . Even the quiet scenes in Kyoto , one of the most beautiful cities in the world , showed the peace and serenity that you can still find in many places in Japan .
Without this careful background of the viewer becoming lost in another culture from the beginning of the movie , the lost characters might have been a little too familiar . The girl who married too young ; the middle-aged man facing crisis in his life . But I've seen marriages break up in Japan , and I've seen ex-pats stay for 20 , 25 years , living in the demimonde that's half gai ( koku ) jin bars and half familiarity with everything Japanese . Things change in that neon light and circumscribed space ( both physical and cultural ) , and Sophia Coppola does an amazing job of teasing out how you really DON'T always take yourself with you wherever you go . An incredible film .
P.S . For those giving this 1 or 2 stars because it's too slow , go watch old SNL reruns over and over and over .
135 4 I have to say that I loved this film when I first saw it in the movies , and I still do , but the DVD itself is terrible ! Like other reviewers have already said , this disc has minimal features , and no booklet or even a chapter list inside the case . If that's not bad enough , one must then sit through preview after preview at the beginning of the disc before it even gets to the main menu . There is no way to skip ahead to the main menu . This in itself is very annoying and intrusive !
My next complaint is that there is no running commentary by either Ms . Coppola or Bill Murray . Wouldn't it have been great to hear Ms . Coppola's thoughts on the film and what led her to this subject matter ? The case says , A Conversation with Bill Murray and Sofia Coppola , which led me to believe that it was going to be a commentary on the film . Was I wrong ! This conversation is nothing more than a little clip of the two discussing the film , while on location in Rome ! ! We don't even get to see them on location in Japan . I know that another feature is included called Lost on Location , which proves to be nothing more than a complete waste of time . This short is just a jumble of jarring shots of the behind the scenes preparation for the film . It also makes Ms . Coppola look completely foolish and inexperienced as a director , which is really sad , because she did a brilliant job directing this film .
Overall , this is a wonderful film , but this DVD is lacking !
See this film while you can in the theaters . You'll enjoy it so much more !
137 4 In the UK Lost In Translation has only been on release a couple of weeks , and when I finally got round to seeing it last night I was blown away . The movie's about two people who find each other at a time in their lives where nothing seems to fit , where they're desperate , bored and lonely . Bob Harris ( Murray ) used to be a famous movie star but now he's sold out , travelling to Japan to film a set of whisky commercials . Staying at the same hotel is Charlotte ( Johannsson ) , who is the centre of the realisation that she doesn't know her husband of two years ( Ribisi ) and feels unable to explain it to anyone . The two people eventually meet , finding solace in the amazing backdrop of Tokyo arcades , temples and karaoke bars . Many may accuse the film of being boring , and it's true , nothing really happens . But that's the point . The characters don't need any plot contrivances to push their relationship forward . This is a movie about the kind of meeting of someone you know you're in love with from moment one , your soul-mate , but knowing that it can never work out . In a lot of ways this sounds clichéd , but LIT is anything but . It's focus on the blossoming relationship of the couple is inspiring .
I've never seen Murray in a better role , his kind of world-weary character hidden behind a comic defense is nothing short of brilliant . Johannsson is a genuine star in the making , and deserves the highest kind of praise for her performance . Holding herself confidently with a hidden vulnerability , it's a multi-faceted performance which complements Murray's one perfectly . There are also some nice supporting turns and characters hidden here as well . Ribisi ( narrator of Coppola's previous movie The Virgin Suicides ) is just the kind of person you meet in real life who's primarily concerned with image , with having the perfect wife and the perfect job , rather than whether this is what he really wants . There's also a hilarious character in a young actress starring in a kung-fu movie . If Bob and Charlotte are the emotional centrepiece of the movie , then she is the laughs . Pretentious , self-abosorbed but totally believable , she's a great comic actress .
Crucially , Coppola proves with Lost In Translation that she's a dab hand at creating dreamy landscapes , believable relationships and subtly complicated characters . It's particularly impressive that she not only directed but also wrote the movie and shows her to be one of the most promising new directors in Hollywood ( alongside Christopher Nolan ) . Just like The Virgin Suicides , there are a lot of silent shots of landscape , of characters staring into the distance . With Lost In Translation , much of these shots are of Johannsson visiting temples or watching flower arranging . These provide a nice counterpoint to the humour the film makes of Japan in the director of Bob's commercials and a hilarious Japanese talk show . LIT is an achievement of the best sort : gently humorous , beautiful , and genuinely touching .
