Rating: 
Summary: Plotless and boring
Review: This is by far one of the most plotless and boring movies I've ever seen. I was simply unable to find a point. After all the hype surrounding this "movie," I was, needless to say, very disappointed. The fact that Sophia won an Oscar for this waste of film is really quite pathetic.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting for a short movie, not great as a feature film.
Review: This was an interesting movie to see and it had its moments but for the most part it was a script and dialog starved visual experience. The film itself was very well done but there just seemed as though there wasn't enough story there to do much with. If you are a Bill Murray fan and liked his comedy movies such as "Ground Hog Day" then this movie will probably disappoint you. Bill Murray's character not only seemed unhappy about his circumstances in the film but you got the feeling that Bill Murray himself was truly not enthusiastic about his role in this movie. However, it does not seem as if it was really Bill Murray's fault since this movie script didn't provide very much for him to work with in the first place. The actress Scarlett Johansson did a very good job in her part as the bored and unhappy wife of a photographer who is working in Japan at that time. It was difficult to take your eyes off of her during her performances and she was the brightest star in this movie. I also see a very promising future for the talented Sofia Coppola as a director. I do not believe that it had been her intent for Lost In Translation to become the "big feature film" that the media made it out to be. Lost in Translation would have been a very good film to see as an independent type of short film or as a supplimental movie shown on HBO or any other pay cable channel but it did not really satisfy my expectations as a full length, major feature film for theaters or DVD.
Rating: 
Summary: Daddy's Girl
Review: Like a nice dream that you wake up from with a smile on your face that will in turn make your day, this is exactly the feeling I got after watching Lost in Translation, Sofia Coppola's second feature after her acclaimed debut Virgin Suicides.The first thing that struck me was how original the film was, and how simple and gentle the plot is,yet at the same time how deeply significant dealing with themes that many viewers can identify with about friendship,alienation, and loneliness.
Certainly it has one of the most original opening scenes,I would go as far as saying,in Cinema history..one that will 'stare you right in the face' and will definitely bring a smile.
Bob Harris an aging movie star who has clearly seen better roles is in Tokyo to shoot a whiskey commercial, also staying in the same hotel is Charlotte a east side intellectual young wife who is with her very busy photographer husband.
In between discovering a whole new city, and finding some difficulties adjusting to the jet lag, the language barrier and their respective state of loneliness away from home, they meet up and form a friendship that will help them cope with their temporary but bewildered and confused situation.
Through their encounters, we learn that their friendship was not only sealed because of homesickness, but because they both found in each other a needed breath of fresh air that enlivened the dull routine of their lives both in Tokyo and the US. Indeed, Tokyo is only a place that triggers and exposes the deep need for change, albeit short lived because at the end, when the actor's job is done, he knows that now matter how much he found in Charlotte some comfort in his middle age crisis that was turning into affection and intimacy, and no matter how much Charlotte found in the actor the stimulation and closeness she lacks in her marriage, each will soon have to go back to their respective lives and families.
The last scene when Harris stops his cab after spotting Charlotte and runs to her, whispering something that remains intelligible, then they kiss for the first time, and he departs smiling, was a very powerful one indeed..it opens lots of unanswered possibilities as to the nature of this brief conversation, but it really does not matter because they finally depart for the first time in their stay satisfied.
Bill Murray, I believe contributed greatly to the movie's success..He is a truly comedy genius that reminds me of Peter Sellers or even Louis De Funes, actors who can express so much just with one look.Scarlett Johansson was a very able match, playing against a comedy giant like Murray, and I believe she is one of the best actresses of her generation, (and yes she has a really sweet laugh).
The writing was excellent and Coppola managed to infuse gentle humor with three dimensional characters and with lots of sympathy, compassion and dignity.
Lost In Translation therefore is a type of movie that is rarely filmed these days, one that is beautifully shot, written,and directed by a woman who proved that the term Daddy's girl is in her case, very well earned.
Rating: 
Summary: Standard plot, some twists
Review: I liked this movie. The plot is quite standard for a "romance" movie: two adults are in bad marriages on their own, get attracted to each other and try to figure their way about it. The tiny twist here comes from the huge age difference between the characters. It stops them from really developing a romance, they never get into sack as the old guy wouldn't know what the young girl would think of him if he even tried. So they end up enjoying each others' company in platonic manner and they seem to wander half-lost without knowing what to do. The audience sees the couple enjoy spending time with each other but also realise it is nigh-on impossible for them to split from their unsatisfying marriages to really get together... Yet, they long each others' company and don't know what to do about it. The slow suspence comes from trying to guess how they'll solve their lives and relationships. Could it happen?
Rating:
Summary: LOST IN THE SCREENPLAY
Review: The film certainly creates - in a convincing way - the atmosphere that would make it difficult for an uninspired foreigner on a short stay in Tokyo to be anything but bored. Unfortunately the proliferation of simple sentences made up of simple words in the screenplay not only made it boring for this viewer but also failed to convince me that any meaningful relationship could develop between the young wife (Johansson) and the older actor (Murray). The screenplay was unable to lift the film above the level of the "elevator" music that anaesthetized the patrons of the hotel bar. I gave it 2 stars for atmosphere and the film work. The non-plot and non-acting was worth a big fat zero. This DVD is not worth owning or renting.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting but over-rated
Review: After watching this movie, I felt the confusion and perhaps frustration of visiting another 'world' where the main language is not English. When I went to Montreal, Quebec I somewhat felt the way Bill Murray's character went through. On the otherhand, since I had studied French from grade school to grade nine, I have to say that Ontario's education towards French sucks! I could not speak nor understand much of what the French people were saying. However, I were able to read French so I managed to find my way. I'm not quite sure why a review said that it was "hilarious". Is it because it's funny to see other people go through this turmoil of being lost and not speaking the native language? I would feel embarrassed if I were to laugh at another person just because of language and cultural differences. Hee hee Kinda reminds me of how my country, "Canada" was named... ^_^;;; Perhaps it was a cultural shock for most foreigners who have not visited Asian areas to find it so different? Video arcades in asian malls and plazas in Toronto have many of the games of when Scarlett's character was wandering through in Japan. I only wish we had a UFO Catcher that actually has the cute anime ufo plushies! XD Karaoke is very popular in Japan and it's gaining popularity here in Toronto. It's just expensive especially at Pacific Mall. T_T; I thought this movie was excellently protrayed as a third-person being lost in a completely different world. The only downfall was that there was not very much of a story. Bill and Scarlett would always meet and drink alcohol. Personally I did not think drowning yourself in alcohol would be a good idea especially if you are in a different country where you do not know much of the laws. You might get yourself into trouble but you may not remember much as you were drunk! =P I guess that is the western's culture of drinking to loosen up and whatnot. This was the first film I have seen by Sofia Coppola and thought she did good in the directing but the story... there wasn't much there. I think because of her family's connection in the entertainment business was why this movie got so much publicity compared to other Oscar nominated movies (excluding LOTR3 of course! =P).
Rating:
Summary: Einstien was right!
Review: In his examples of relativity, Einstien suggested that unpleasant experiences seem to last longer than pleasant ones, even when they are of the same actual duration.
This movie proves his point. This trite, pointless attempt at entertainment felt like it went on forever.
I've tried to figure out how Bill Murray could have gotten himself involved in a project like this. My conclusion: he lost a bet!
Rating:
Summary: "Lost in Translation" Not Lost
Review: 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
Rating:
Summary: amazing
Review: i'm writing this review because when i looked at the reviews on this page i saw alot of them that bassically said that this movie was boring and that they didn't get it.
yes. this movie is boring if you need alot of dialouge or a loud explosion every couple of minutes to keep you awake during a movie. but this is one of the best and most well crafted films i have ever seen. Two married strangers are bassically stranded in Tokyo and fall in love almost by accident. The ending is perfect for the film. Many people say it doesn't resolve anything and that it's unclear, but that's the point. It leaves you feeling weirdly comforted and you can't figure out why.
Just watch the movie. you might love it and you might hate it. but it is most definatly worth the risk.
Rating:
Summary: American resident of Tokyo
Review: 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)
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