Lost in Translation (2003)

Beautiful Feeling of Disconnection

I can't believe so many people gave this a bad review. In my mind, this is the best movie ever made that exemplifies the disconnected, lonely feeling one experiences even among millions of people when undergoing an existential crisis. I still remember the cool feeling I got the first time I watched this. I felt as disconnected and hopelessly drifting as both Bill Murray and Scarlett Johanssen, and Sofia Coppola managed to link this feeling with a sense of the noble beauty of loneliness that 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 true filmgoer's list. September 17, 2008

Overrated

All men recall a woman from their past that sticks in their mind, not as some drop dead gorgeous goddess nor as some hideous dog that made them want to retch, but simply because they were in some way, however minor, interesting. That interestingness may have been their looks, their quirks, their persona, or some indefinable `otherness'. Well, that's what the film Lost In Translation is- it's not a bad film, nor nearly as good as its reputation proclaims, but it is unlike just about any other Hollywood or indie film to come down the pike in the last few decades.
That it was nominated for and won a screenwriting Oscar for director Sofia Coppola is just plain silly since the film's resonance and character creation comes from its visual images, not its too spare writing. An aging, former American film star named Bob Harris (Bill Murray) comes to Tokyo to film an ad for a brand of scotch. Like many American film stars in real life who refuse such stateside, lest oddly believe they'll dampen their credibility as actors, he accepts the enormous sum the Japanese sponsors offer him- $2 million- for a week or so's work. There he meets the Gen Y wife of a hip young photographer named Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson). They have little in common save their shared loneliness and insomnia when Charlotte's husband John (Giovanni Ribisi) goes off for a few days on a shoot. Charlotte is a typically aimless young soul who peripatetically bounces between wanting to write or photograph, & seeking an outlet for her philosophy degree from Yale, while Bob is a lethargic middle aged man who's not so much in crisis mode as he is in ennui to the cosmos.... Still, as stated, the movie's visuals are its real charm- the scenes of Tokyo's night life, neon, the odd angles that Charlotte looks down upon life from in her hotel room, and especially a beautifully filmed, yet hauntingly lonely shot of Bob playing golf in the foreground of Mount Fuji, add almost enough poetic resonance to the characters that the script lacks to pull off a viewer's belief in their romance. Sofia's brother made a far superior film a few years ago that dealt with many of the same themes of alienation. CQ, for whatever reasons, did not seem to strike a chord the way Lost In Translation did. The reason for that is probably because CQ was not as `serious' an art film as Translation.
September 14, 2008

In my top 5 movies of all time.

I am mainly submitting this review because of the horrible number of '1 star' reviews.

I loved this movie so much, and it means so very much to me now, years later. I can only thank Sofia for making it, and Scarlett and Bill for being so perfect.

This movie is a masterpiece that I hold near my heart.

Beautiful.
September 13, 2008

Outstanding film

This is an outstanding film. Like plunging into the deep end of the swimming pool. Truely refreshing. September 7, 2008

more than 500 give it a one star?

This is in fact what encouraged me to write this review, and a pleasant reality that not all people experience the intense euphoria this masterpiece leads to.
So I mention this movie to some of my friends, it's either a "best film ever" or a "most over hyped" statement. And I do know why. A matter of fact that this is not the first time I've seen such opposite opinions at the same time.
I've seen it with "Babel" and "Crash", both of which share the "unique feeling" a movie gives.
Lost in Translation is by far the heaviest impact on the viewer. I actually felt I was traveling when watching the film.
The films is the closest film I've seen to reality. The actors are playing roles that happen in everyday life. Far from the typical Hollywood glamour or shall I say "garbage".
I give this amazing film extra credit for being on such a low budget, as this encourages independent film makers to do what their supposed to do best. The film cost 6 million to make.
Lost in Translation is one of the best movies I've seen. I'm not going to go into the details why, but I think some of the readers felt what I felt watching this film and won't blame me for my statement.
August 11, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...