Rating: 
Summary: Nothingness
Review: 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
Rating: 
Summary: What a great movie
Review: This film seems to have polarised viewers all over the world. You either love it or hate it. I loved it, but I also loved the action move The Transporter as well. Bill Murray was great and what a performance by 18 year old Scarlett Johansson!!! Everyone I have spoken to rates the "surprise" ending as the best in a romance movie for a long time.
Rating:
Summary: Worth seeing
Review: I really liked this film, but I could see how people might not. Those complaining about a "lack of plot" are too tied to Hollywood films where everything is handed to them and no thinking is involved. Basically, this film is a slice of life, and moves in the way real life might. I thought the camera work gave it a realistic feel, and what surprised me the most was this: it was pretty much void of cliche. Okay, one might say the middle aged man depressed about his marriage and the young girl who doesn't know what to do with herself could have fallen into cliche with a lesser filmmaker (such as Spielberg, for example) but what sets this film apart is the way in which it is handled. This is just about 2 people connecting through loneliness, and it's left at that. Before seeing the film, I thought Bill Murray and Scarlet were an official 'couple' who meet and fall in love, etc. But how surprised I was to find they were both married, and yet their 'affair' isn't a roll in the sack, like in a Hollywood film, but in their simple connection. On that note- I don't think it should have been nominated for an Oscar, or even the screenplay receiving one- but the cinematography is unique and interesting, and it's a film worth exploring. I'm eager to see more of Sofia's works in the future.
Rating: 
Summary: Lonely Days, Lonely Nights
Review: Bill Murray is Bob Harris, a once popular American actor who now, in his middle-age, has found more acceptance and money from the people of Japan than from his own country. He arrives at a prestigious hotel in Tokyo and is given a royal treatment by his greeters and hosts. He is by himself in the land of the rising sun, his wife and kids having stayed behing in the US while he travels across the globe to do some liquor commercials. This Tokyo excursion will take about a week, and the monetary reward will be quite handsome. Contrast this with Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson), who is at the same hotel tagging along with her photographer husband, John (Giovanni Ribisi), as he does a multiple-day photo shoot. John is at work most of the time, and so Charlotte is by herself at the hotel, her attempts to keep from being bored proving fruitless. Both Bob and Charlotte are married people, but they are also very lonely people, and that is what "Lost In Translation" is all about.Bob and Charlotte catch glimpses of one another at different places in the hotel, and finally decide to converse in earnest at the hotel bar. The entire plot of the film is about these two people getting to know each other. The story revolves around them. In fact, the story *is* them. Bob, in his early-fifties, is old enough to be Charlotte's dad, but that doesn't matter here. It's not about age. It's about the place, and the points that each of these people are at in their lives. Bob loves his children very much, but we do not sense he feels the same for his wife. We hear her on the phone when she calls him, and the same weary sentiment seems to flow from her voice. They are becoming a couple in name only. Then there's Charlotte & John. Both are young, and both are self-possessed. John is into his photography to the point of neglecting Charlotte. But we get the idea that even if gave her more attention, Charlotte might not really warm up to him. She has issues of her own. If Bob is going through a mid-life crisis, then Charlotte seems to be going through a young-life crisis. "Lost In Translation" is about being alone. Loneliness doesn't always mean that someone is physically separated from loved ones or from people in general. One can be alone in the middle of a crowded room. Such is the case with Bob & Charlotte. They're in Japan for a week. They don't really speak the language. Bob's wife is in the US, and Charlotte's husband is always at a photo shoot. The two lost souls find each other at the hotel, spend time with one another, and even sleep in the same bed together. But we know that while this is providing a small comfort for the time being, it is not a lasting solution to their problems. And we also understand that both Bob and Charlotte -- even if Bob's wife were in Tokyo with him, and John was by Charlotte's side all the time -- would still be lonely. Their life struggles lie deeper than what one person can provide, especially the persons they have chosen to settle down with. This is probably Bill Murray's most understated performance, and it works brilliantly. He lets you in on Bob's emotions without betraying too much sentimentality. He conveys so much with just a smile, a frown, his body language, or simply the look in his eyes. He should get an Oscar nomination for this. Scarlett Johansson, who left me unimpressed in the movie "Ghost World" a few years ago, is excellent in her role here. She portrays Charlotte as a deep, troubled, yet intelligent young woman and, like her co-star, does it without overstating it. She spends much of her screen time walking around a hotel room in her pink panties, and does it so simply and matter-of-factly that it becomes both vulnerable and sexy at the same time. Johansson is definitely an actress to watch for in the coming years. Sofia Coppola has succeeded in creating a sliver of time & place with "Lost In Translation". It creates two of the most realistic characters to ever grace the cinema. You forget this is a movie, and start to really care for these people as though they really exist. And you get the feeling that this is a single, solitary moment that will be over with and then fondly remembered by the characters for a long time to come. This sweeps over you before the film is even over, much like when you are in the middle of a special occurence or event in your own life, and you stop and think about the fact that at one point - very soon - it will cease to be the present, and will instead become only a nostalgic memory. And there you have "Lost In Translation"
Rating: 
Summary: How about 0 stars?
Review: This movie, in my opinion, is a pathetic excuse for a film. I literally was forcing myself to watch it, thinking something would surprise me at the end, but I realized I wasted my time. I actually do not understand how any human being could actually write a story about this. The plot is basically based on nothing. Well, how two strangers meet each other in Tokyo and they are bored together. Great. Where's the twist? Where's the actual plot? There is none. They just drag themselves around bars and parties being bored out of their minds. One thing I really do NOT understand, is why the majority went crazy over this movie and believed it to be a masterpice. I personally, do not find it interesting to watch a middle aged man being followed by a camera in Tokyo, and him being bored the whole time. Where is the satisfaction? Overall, I wouldn't advise anyone to rent this, let alone buy this. A total waste of time.
Rating:
Summary: Best movie of the year
Review: i loved this movie so much, very touching. Amazing
Rating:
Summary: If not for Johansson, this movie wouldn't be worth seeing
Review: Scarlett Johansson is definitely the cutest girl in the world, which is what saved this movie. The plot was sort of strange, it's one of those "artsy" movies, but to me, any movie with Johansson in it is worth seeing.
Rating: 
Summary: A nice moment -- extended edition
Review: This movie captures a particular mood extremely well. It just does it for a very VERY long time. It seemed more appropriate as a subject for a short film ... but people don't watch short films by themselves, so few people make them.
Rating:
Summary: Subtle Beauty
Review: Lost in Translation, Sofia Coppola's latest work, is without question one of the finer films of the year. The stylistic transition from her last feature, The Virgin Suicides, to Lost in Translation is not exactly obvious, but nonetheless shows Coppola directing a more mature-natured picture than she previously has. Lost in Translation's subtleties are its greatest achievements, while the actor's performances are the impressive allies to a compelling story of love, life, chemistry, and respect. If at least one Oscar is not garnered from this combination of elements, I will find myself sadly disappointed. The movie begins with Bob Harris (Bill Murray) arriving in Tokyo, Japan to shoot a commercial for a Japanese-brand whisky. Upon arriving in the country, it's immediately obvious that he is not completely up for this task. He arrives at a beautiful hotel where he is lavishly welcomed by the hotel's staff before retreating to his room to alienate himself from the experience. Charlotte, played by Scarlett Johansson, is also at the hotel. She is staying with her photographer husband while his is in the country for work. The next evening, Charlotte sees Bob having a less than fulfilling time in the hotel's lounge and sends him a drink. Later that evening, they meet again in the lounge when both are unable to sleep. An instant bond is established and the two slowly begin to realize that they are the best suited company for one another. Eventually Bob and Charlotte go out together on the town. In the midst of being in a completely different culture, where more than the language is a barrier, the two find themselves meeting on a much deeper level than they had originally planned. The fact that the age difference is obvious to the audience makes some of the subsequent scenes more intense. You're left to question if the two are going to take the relationship to a sexual level. You're left to question if the two are truly falling in love. You're left to question if the age really has any bearing on the chemistry that they feel together. Therein lays the true beauty of this film. Although it would be extremely easy to have these two romantically fall in love, they're simply two people that meet on an emotional level. For lack of better words, they just understand each other. For the next couple of days they utilize their time to the fullest by enjoying their time together. They don't want the time to end, but realize that in just a few short days everything in their lives will go back to normal. During the last evening of the trip, a fire alarm is sounded in the hotel forcing everyone outside until all is clear. At this point, Bob sees Charlotte and approaches her. The moment is uncomfortable because, through no intention of his own, Charlotte becomes aware of the fact that Bob has unexpectedly had another woman in his room the night before. Unable to deny the fact that she has become emotionally attached, Charlotte asks Bob when he is going home. He replies, "In the morning." At this point, it's in the open and the two realize just exactly how much fun they've had together over the course of their visit to Japan. This is a friendship that could very easily be taken to the next level, but somehow the two are smart enough to understand that this is something that just needs remain where it's at. After leaving the hotel to catch his plane home, Bob sees Charlotte walking down the streets of Tokyo and implores the driver to pull over so he can say what he wanted to say earlier. Unfortunately, and fortunately, we are unable to hear what he tells Charlotte. We're only left to speculate what it is. I'm sure most people agree that it can only be one or two things. It's such a beautiful scene, though. It's one of the true highlights of cinema in the past several years. Everything about Lost in Translation is in the right place. As I stated before, it's the subtleties that make it so great. Whether it's the witty humor of Murray, the innocence of Johansson, the brief appearances of the small handful of cast members, or the beautiful imagery of Tokyo, nothing has been overdone. Finally, as I left the theatre, I realized just exactly how much my emotions had been played with. However, it wasn't until the second time I saw this film that I fully understood why. On some level I guess I had wanted things to turn out differently, but maturity of the writing actually made this movie ten times more enjoyable than it would have been had it ended the way I wanted it to the first time.
Rating:
Summary: Like Ex-President Ford: Nothing Bad, But Sadly Unimpressive
Review: I didn't really dislike this movie per se. I think that it's strengths lie in its cinematography and art direction. Also, I found the dialogue to be subtle, understated, nuanced, and compelling. Other than that, the movie did not really impress me. First off, this film falls into the genre of "Emo-type Americans who travel to a non-English speaking country and try to 'find themselves.'" What usually happens is that world-weary protagonists travel to foreign countries where they are unable to communicate with the native population because they are not able to speak the language of the country they are visiting (in this case Japanese). Thus, the native population comes off as mysterious and inscrutable, their customs strange and exotic, and their culture beautiful but ultimately unknowable. This irreconcilable gulf between the protagonists and the native population helps to highlight and symbolize the alienation and isolation that the protagonist feels toward the rest of humanity. It also leads to many humorous scenes when the protagonists are arbitrarily thrown into disorienting and/or stereotype-reinforcing situations, such as a protagonist finding himself taller than the rest of the Asian men in an elevator, or a protagonist being beset by an E.S.L. prostitute who no doubt caters to all sort of deviant sexual fantasies for the native men, fantasies that the foreign protagonist cannot begin to fathom. The movie is beautifully shot, full of soul, and the dialogue and interactions between characters ring true to life. The problem is that the movie falls into this whole obnoxious genre of a stranger in a strange land. It is the film's only flaw, but it is fatal to the integrity of the movie. Both Murray and Johansson burn brightly in their respective roles. Giovanni Ribisi delivers a brilliant performance as a preoccupied and distant husband. Even Anna Faris makes an endearing appearance as a vapid, giggly blonde starlet shooting a Matrix-like action flick in Tokyo. Not surprisingly, none of the Japanese characters are in any way developed. (This, of course, would entail treating the Japanese characters as actual three-dimensional people instead of movie props, a possible complicating dynamic that Coppola is never in danger of broaching.) Despite the skillfully executed performances, the actors and actresses still far short of the Herculean task of animating this lifeless material. If you want a more satisfying film based on the same themes of lonely people finding each other in a cold and indifferent world, watch the British classic, "Brief Encounter" written by Noel Coward and directed by David Lean. Instead of taking the easy way out and giving his character passports to an exotic and distant destination somewhere in the British Empire, Coward makes the decisive choice to couch the entire film in drab suburban England. The sense of estrangement he creates is all the more heightened precisely because he doesn't flinch from the unrelenting loneliness and seclusion that one can find in the mundane and trivial setting of one's own home and community.
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